Liquidus temperature measurements for modeling oxide glass systems relevant to nuclear waste vitrification

Liquidus temperatures (T_L) were measured, and primary phases were determined for 50 (from an initial test matrix of 76) compositions within the Al₂O₃–B₂O₃–CaO–Na₂O–SiO₂glass-forming system and its constituent ternary subsystems. Strong linear correlations have been found between composition andT_Lfor melts within the same primary phase fields. TheT_Land primary phase data are being used to develop and refine a modified associate species model (ASM). The impacts of Fe₂O₃, Li₂O, NiO, ZrO₂, Cr₂O₃, ZnO, and MnO additions on theT_Lof two baseline glass compositions are reported. These data are intended as benchmarks for further expansion of the ASM or other silicate melt solution models of nuclear waste glasses.