| Abstract Scope |
Understanding the complexities behind crystallization and resulting properties of simulated nuclear waste glasses and glass ceramics provides critical insight to the performance of glass for long-term nuclear waste storage. Specifically, the effect of additional Fe2O3 on crystallization may be an important consideration in vitrification of certain wastes. Previous research has shown that compositions simultaneously high in Li and Fe tend to crystallize oxide phases containing both these metals. A standard melt-quench technique was implemented to synthesize glasses with compositions LiFeSiO4, LiFeSi2O6, and LiFeSi3O8. X-ray Diffractometry (XRD), Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA), and Vibrating Sample Magnetometry (VSM), were used to observe crystallization behavior. A lithium iron oxide phase was detected using XRD for all samples melted at 1300°C but was most prominent in the LiFeSiO4 glass. The thermal measurements revealed crystallization and an increase in glass transition temperature as the silicon to iron ratio increased in the glass series. |