In Situ Testing of Waste Glass in Clay

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe actual status of an in-situ test programme exposing different waste glass samples directly to Boom clay is reviewed. Corrosion test tubes have been retrieved after residence for 5 years at 16° C, 2 years at 90° C, and 5 years at 170° C. The corrosion is interpreted in terms of mass loss, surface analysis by SEM and profiling by EPMA and SIMS. At 16° C, glasses dissolve about 0.02 – 0.08 µm per year. At higher temperature dissolution is more than two orders of magnitude larger. A good agreement is obtained between the mass losses and the surface analyses. The advantages and limitations of the Belgian in-situ tests are compared with the conclusions of an international expert group.