Quantifying silica reactivity in subsurface environments: Reaction affinity and solute matrix controls on quartz and SiO{sub 2} glass. 1997 annual progress report

'The author reports the preliminary results of the experiments on the dissolution behavior of vitreous silica (v-SiO{sub 2}) into aqueous solutions of variable pH and ionic strength. The experiments are being conducted in mixed flow reactors with a high circulation rate that simulates constant-stirred conditions, the efficacy of which the authors discuss below. The preliminary results indicate that v-SiO{sub 2} dissolves into aqueous solutions approximately two orders of magnitude more quickly than crystalline silica (e.g., quartz). With additional experiments, they will utilize the dissolution rate data as a framework for understanding the behavior of waste glass compositions in the subsurface. In other work related to the studies of glass reactivity, the author has written one book chapter that will be published as part of a proceedings for the CEA/VALRHO international nuclear waste disposal conference held in Mejannes le Clap, France. In separate work, she is presently writing a second book chapter for the volume entitled Adsorption on Silica Surfaces.