Ruthenium Volatility Behaviour during HLLW-Vitrification in a Liquid-Fed Ceramic Waste Melter

Abstract

There are two effective and independent ways to suppress generation of volatilized ruthenium in a liquid-fed ceramic lined electric waste melter The first one is to flood the molten glass pool completely and continuously with liquid waste The second one is denitration of the waste solution prior to feeding into the melter In both cases carry-over of ruthenium into the off-gas can be maintained below approximately 4 wt % of the total ruthenium processed Denitration could be helpful in diminishing the ruthenium circulating within the process with the scrub solution from the dust-removal wet scrubber Premature plugging of the off-gas pipe, connecting the ceramic melter with the first scrubber, by ruthenium compounds alone is not probable because the bulk of deposited material (95 wt %) is composed of elements other than ruthenium