Molten glass fills Vit Plant melter
By Terry Murry on Friday, August 11th, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
RICHLAND, Washington – The Hanford Tank Waste and Immobilization Plant, also known as the Vit Plant, is one step closer to its mission of waste treatment operations.
Last week, a Vit Plant crew poured the first batches of glass-forming beads, called frit, into a melter heated to 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit. At that temperature, the beads melted and created the first molten pool inside the melter. A total of about 40,000 pounds of frit will be added to create a molten pool about 31 inches deep.
At the heart of the vitrification process are two 300-ton melters inside the Vit Plant, which will immobilize the tank waste into glass during future hot operations. During vitrification, treated waste will be fed into the melter and then mixed with glass-forming materials heated to 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit and poured into specially designed stainless steel containers.
The containers will then be moved a short distance to the Integrated Disposal Facility at the Hanford Site for disposal.
Photo via Bechtel National, Inc. shows frit being added to Vit Plant melter.
