Cold crucible induction melter test for crystalline ceramic waste form fabrication: A feasibility assessment

The first scaled proof-of-principle cold crucible induction melter (CCIM) test to process a multiphase ceramic waste form from a simulated combined (Cs/Sr, lanthanide and transition metal fission products) commercial used nuclear fuel waste stream was recently conducted in the United States. X-ray diffraction, 2-D X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES), electron microscopy, inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy for Cs), and product consistency tests were used to characterize the fabricated CCIM material. Characterization analyses confirmed that a crystalline ceramic with a desirable phase assemblage was produced from a melt using a CCIM. Primary hollandite, pyrochlore/zirconolite, and perovskite phases were identified in addition to minor phases rich in Fe, Al, or Cs. The material produced in the CCIM was chemically homogeneous and displayed a uniform phase assemblage with acceptable aqueous chemical durability.