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The Structural Role of Zn in Nuclear Waste Glasses
Author(s) -
Cassingham Nathan J.,
Stennett Martin C.,
Bingham, Paul A.,
Hyatt Neil C.,
Aquilanti Giuliana
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
international journal of applied glass science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.383
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 2041-1294
pISSN - 2041-1286
DOI - 10.1111/j.2041-1294.2011.00067.x
Subject(s) - materials science , extended x ray absorption fine structure , zinc , xanes , spectroscopy , absorption (acoustics) , actinide , absorption spectroscopy , radioactive waste , silicate , soda lime glass , soda lime , x ray absorption spectroscopy , nuclear chemistry , chemical engineering , metallurgy , chemistry , composite material , optics , physics , quantum mechanics , engineering
Addition of ZnO and CaO to current United K ingdom high level nuclear waste ( HLW ) glass frits is currently under consideration with the aim of improving processing behavior and aqueous durability. This study was performed in order to better understand the structural role of Zn in model U.K. HLW glasses and, in particular, the role of Zn as a network modifier, intermediate, or former in such materials. Zinc K ‐edge X ‐ray absorption spectroscopy was applied to simple soda‐lime‐silicate glasses doped with ZnO and on model inactive U.K. HLW glasses consisting of simulated M agnox and B lend (25 wt% Magnox + 75 wt% ThORP reprocessing waste) wastes. X ‐ray absorption near edge and extended X ‐ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy provided conclusive evidence that Zn occurs in four‐fold coordination with Zn – O contact distances of 1.95 ± 0.01 Å in all glasses studied. Analysis of the extended X ‐ray absorption fine structure data also indicates the presence of short range order with Si next nearest neighbor atoms present at a Zn – Si contact distance of 3.58 ± 0.03 Å.