Structure and chemical durability of barium borosilicate glass-ceramics containing zirconolite and titanite crystalline phases

In order to increase the solubility of actinides in the glass matrix, the effects of CaO, TiO2, and ZrSiO4 addition (abbreviated as CTZ, in the mole ratio of 2:2:1) on crystalline phases, microstructure, and chemical durability of barium borosilicate glass-ceramics were investigated. The results show that the samples possess both zirconolite-2M and titanite phase when the CTZ content is greater than or equal to 45 wt.%. For the glass-ceramics with 45 wt.% CTZ (CTZ-45), only zirconolite-2M phase is observed after annealing at 680-740 °C for 2 h. The CTZ-45 possess zirconolite-2M and titanite phases after annealing at 700 °C first, and then annealing at 900-1050 °C for 2 h. Furthermore, the zirconolite-2M and titanite grains show a strip and brick shape, respectively. The CTZ-45 annealing at 950 °C shows the lower normalized leaching rates of B, Na and Nd when compared to that of CTZ-0 and CTZ-55.