Process for confinement of waste containing at least one chemical species to be confined, by in-can vitrification in a hot metal can into which waste and a vitrification additive are added, the waste and the vitrification additive are melted to obtain a glass melt which is then cooled, characterised in that at least one oxidising agent is also added into the metal can and in that the concentration of oxidising agent(s) expressed as oxide(s) in the glass melt is between 0.1 and 20% by mass, preferably 4 and 20% by mass, even more preferably 5 and 15% by mass, and even more preferably 10 and 13% by mass of the glass melt mass.

Described are cementitious reagent materials produced from globally abundant inorganic feedstocks. Also described are methods for the manufacture of such cementitious reagent materials and forming the reagent materials as microspheroidal glassy particles. Also described are apparatuses, systems and methods for the thermochemical production of glassy cementitious reagents with spheroidal morphology. The apparatuses, systems and methods makes use of an in-flight melting/quenching technology such that solid particles are flown in suspension, melted in suspension, and then quenched in suspension. The cementitious reagents can be used in concrete to substantially reduce the CO.sub.2 emission associated with cement production.

Described are cementitious reagent materials produced from globally abundant inorganic feedstocks. Also described are methods for the manufacture of such cementitious reagent materials and forming the reagent materials as microspheroidal glassy particles. Also described are apparatuses, systems and methods for the thermochemical production of glassy cementitious reagents with spheroidal morphology. The apparatuses, systems and methods makes use of an in-flight melting/quenching technology such that solid particles are flown in suspension, melted in suspension, and then quenched in suspension. The cementitious reagents can be used in concrete to substantially reduce the CO.sub.2 emission associated with cement production.

The present invention relates to a method for producing mineral material suitable for use as raw material in a glass melting method, comprising: supplying a main tank with a vitrifiable mixture of materials comprising recycling materials comprising organic matter; melting the vitrifiable mixture of materials in the main tank using submerged burners to obtain a melt; and introducing a solid oxidant into the melt.

A method of making glass is disclosed in which a flue gas that comprises water vapor is exhausted from a submerged combustion melter that is operated to discharge combustion products into a glass melt that results from the combustion of a mixture of hydrogen gas and an oxidant gas. Heat may be recovered from the exhausted flue gas to heat batch feedstock material fed to the melter, or water vapor in the exhausted flue gas may be condensed and returned to the melter for cooling purposes, or both. A glass-melting system is also disclosed that includes a submerged combustion melter, a batch feedstock material preheater in fluid communication with the submerged combustion melter and configured to heat batch feedstock material, a condenser in fluid communication with the batch feedstock material preheater, and a cooling water reservoir in fluid communication with the condenser and the submerged combustion melter.

Vitrified products are manufactured using a melt produced from batch materials comprising 35 to 100 w % man-made mineral fibers produced in a submerged combustion melter.

A method of fabrication of arsenic glass, comprising forming pellets of an arsenic-containing glass-forming mixture comprising arsenic in a range between about 30 and about 50% w/w and glass forming elements, and melting the pellets by direct heating to a temperature in a range between about 950 and about 1250 C.

A sealing system for isolating the environment inside a vitrification container from the outside environment comprises a vitrification container with a lid. The lid comprises two or more electrode seal assemblies through which two or more electrodes may be operatively positioned and extend down through the lid into the vitrification container. The electrodes may move axially up and down through the electrode seal assemblies or lock into place. The electrode seal assemblies each comprise a housing having two halves with recessed ring grooves. Sealing rings with a split may be placed into the grooves. Gas galleries may be machined or cast into the housing such that they are adjacent to the ring grooves. The gas galleries distribute gas onto the external faces of the sealing rings causing a change in pressure resulting in the sealing rings compressing onto the electrodes and forming a seal.

A method of forming a rope material from a loose feed scrap includes a number of operations to mechanically bind the loose feed scrap. The feed scrap is collected. The feed scrap is twisted and compressed, operations that may be performed simultaneously. This twisted and compressed feed scrap, now in the form of a rope material, is then fed into a melter system.

Embodiments disclosed herein include methods and systems for melting or augmenting a melt rate of material in a melter using electromagnetic radiation with a frequency between 0.9 GHz and 10 GHz. In some examples, a power and/or frequency of radiation used may be selected so as to control a temperature of a cold cap in the melter while maintaining emissions from the melter below a threshold level. In this manner, examples described herein may provide for efficient and safe melting and vitrification of radioactive wastes.