Apatite- and monazite-bearing glass-crystal composites for the immobilization of low-level nuclear and hazardous wastes

This study demonstrates that glass-crystal composite waste forms can be produced from waste streams containing high proportions of phosphorus, transition metals, and/or halides. The crystalline phases produced in crucible-scale melts include apatite, monazite, spinels, and a Zr-Si-Fe-Ti phase. These phases readily incorporated radionuclide and toxic metals into their crystal structures, while corrosion tests have demonstrated that glass-crystal composites can be up to 300-fold more durable than simulated high-level nuclear waste glasses, such as SRL 202U