Buried glass, corrosion

Observation of the nature of the corrosion products on buried glass goes back at least as far as Brewster (1863), who reported the characteristic flakiness and surface iridescence. Under the microscope he observed a fine laminar structure with a range of thicknesses between 0.3 and 15 pm, which he deduced... 

The tentative disposal plan calls for the incorporation of the spent nuclear fuel into blocks of borosili-cate glass. These blocks will be packed in corrosion-resistant metal containers and then buried in a deep, stable rock formation (see the accompanying figure). 

The use and acceptance of buried large-diameter glass fiber, plastic reinforced, filament-wound pipe has increased steadily since the 1950s. Such RP was selected for its superior corrosion-resistance characteristics and installation-cost savings. ASTM standards use the term Reinforced Thermoset Resin Pipe (RTRP). Filament-wound pipe with a double helical angle of continuous-glass reinforcement (discussed later) is but one of several types of RTR pipe constructions. 

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