METHOD FOR IMMOBILIZING METAL SODIUM IN THE FORM OF GLASS Russian patent published in 2008 - IPC G21F9/16 

FIELD: immobilizing metal sodium in the form of glass used, for instance, to vitrify metal sodium incorporating radioactive elements.

SUBSTANCE: proposed method for immobilizing metal sodium in the form of glass includes following procedures: introduction of dispersed vitreous matrix precursor, sodium in metal state, and ferric oxide Fe₂O₃ into reactor in amount sufficient to ensure oxidation of metal sodium introduced therein; production of homogeneous mixture of these components; heating of this mixture to temperature ranging between 1 000 and 1 600 °C for producing homogeneous mixture in molten state incorporating earlier introduced sodium in the form of sodium oxide; mixture thus obtained is extracted and cooled down with the result that vitreous matrix of homogeneous composition is obtained; earlier introduced sodium is contained in this matrix in the form of oxide that functions as one of components forming mentioned vitreous matrix. This method is also used to isolate metal sodium incorporating radioactive elements.

EFFECT: reduced probability of exchange between polluted sodium and environment.

21 cl