Argonne National Laboratory Reports

A comprehensive methodology for characterizing the results of impact fracture of brittle waste forms is presented, and its use illustrated by application to available particle-size data obtained in impact tests of various materials. The respirable-size fraction and the total surface area of the fracture particulates are the major criteria for characterization. Particle-size distributions were all found to be characterized approximately by the two parameters of the lognormal probability function (the geometric mean diameter D/sub g/ and the geometric standard deviation sigma/sub g/). These results are explained in terms of the brittle-fracture process as it is described in the technical literature. The methodology appears promising both for standardized evaluation of the impact strength of various solid-waste compositions, either vitreous or crystalline, and for studying the deformation of canistered waste forms in scale-model tests