The vitrified product has several desirable properties:
- Highly leach-resistant: The rate at which radionuclides can be dissolved from the glass matrix by water is extremely low.
- Good thermal conductivity: Allows the heat generated by radioactive decay to be dissipated.
- Reasonable structural integrity: The glass is mechanically robust.
- Resistant to radiation damage: The glass structure is not significantly degraded by the intense radiation field from the contained waste.
- Accommodates all waste species: A single matrix can hold all the fission products and minor actinides present in HLW.
- Volume reduction: The process reduces the overall waste volume by a factor of approximately three compared to the liquid form.
Key Point: The leach-resistant vitrified glass combined with the corrosion resistance of the stainless steel canister material constitutes the primary safety barrier for the high-level waste.