What is vitrification and its principle?

What is vitrification and its principle?

• A. Encasing waste in metal.
• B. Immobilizes high-level waste by incorporating radionuclides into a stable glass matrix, reducing leachability.
• C. Converting waste to gas.
• D. Drying waste to reduce volume.

Answer: (B)

Vitrification is about immobilizing high-level radioactive waste by turning it into a stable glass. The principle is to incorporate the radionuclides into a durable glass matrix so they're trapped in a solid, amorphous network that resists leaching by groundwater over long timescales. In practice, waste is mixed with glass-forming materials and heated into a molten glass; as it cools, the radionuclides are embedded within the glass structure, forming a solid waste form that is chemically durable and can safely be stored for geologic times. This approach effectively limits the mobility of radioactive species compared with other forms of containment. Encasing waste in metal, converting waste to gas, or simply drying waste to reduce volume don’t achieve the same durable, leach-resistant immobilization that a glass matrix provides.

Vitrification is about immobilizing high-level radioactive waste by turning it into a stable glass. The principle is to incorporate the radionuclides into a durable glass matrix so they're trapped in a solid, amorphous network that resists leaching by groundwater over long timescales. In practice, waste is mixed with glass-forming materials and heated into a molten glass; as it cools, the radionuclides are embedded within the glass structure, forming a solid waste form that is chemically durable and can safely be stored for geologic times. This approach effectively limits the mobility of radioactive species compared with other forms of containment. Encasing waste in metal, converting waste to gas, or simply drying waste to reduce volume don’t achieve the same durable, leach-resistant immobilization that a glass matrix provides.