Breaking Good: Study examines durability of glass with ties to nuclear waste storage
Tuesday, June 29, 2010 - 06:35
in Physics & Chemistry
(PhysOrg.com) -- In a first-of-its-kind study, scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory determined how durable four-component glass is when aluminum atoms are replaced by boron atoms and vice versa. By determining the effect of these elements, scientists can better predict how water interacts with minerals and glass. Water-glass interactions matter to people working to glassify liquid and sludge-like waste from nuclear weapons into a safer, solid form. Water-mineral interactions are also of interest to geochemist and agricultural scientists who want to know how minerals weather.