vitrify

The plant will vitrify much of the 56 million gallons of radioactive and hazardous chemical waste in underground tanks, some filled with waste as early as the 1940s.

Last October, the first of two melters used to actually vitrify the waste became active, with the second melter scheduled to launch this spring.

Only one previous study successfully rewarmed and transplanted a vitrified organ in any animal, and the rabbit kidney in question had been vitrified for roughly 10 minutes—and it performed poorly after transplantation.

Initially, the vitrification plant will glassify the least radioactive waste in the tanks, with plans still being made to vitrify the high-level radioactive tank waste.

Finding ways to warm vitrified tissue quickly and evenly has been the focus of Bischof’s lab.