Stainless steel/glass-ceramic interactions under hot isostatic pressing (HIPing) conditions

The interactions between stainless steel (SS) and a glass-ceramic designed for immobilisation of the high-level nuclear waste generated at the Idaho chemical processing plant (ICPP) under hot isostatic pressing (HIPing) conditions (100 MPa in argon at 1200 °C) have been studied and subsequently the effect of such interactions on the chemical durability of the glass-ceramic waste form has been examined. The diffusion of Cr from SS (Cr depletion in SS) through the interaction layer and formation of crystalline Cr/Al oxides in glass dominate the overall interaction process. It appears that the depletion of Cr in SS may reduce the potential of SS as a barrier. However, such interactions have no significant impact on the glass-ceramic and the presence of the interaction layer does not seem to have any detrimental effect on the chemical durability of the glass-ceramic as a waste form.