Lab analyzes were performed by the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) on samples from the August 2008 Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) Engineering Scale Test Demonstration (ESTD) Phase 1 with Tank 48H simulant at the Hazen Research Inc. (HRI) in Golden, Colorado. The 2008 ESTD Phase 1 validation test at the Hazen facility was performed to resolve design issues identified from the 2006 ESTD test. The FBSR process capability to destroy organics in the Tank 48 waste and to generate sodium carbonate base product was successfully demonstrated in 2006. The samples analyzed from the 2008 test verified that with some FBSR design modifications, the FBSR process is still capable of treating Tank 48 organic waste and generating sodium carbonate base product.

The analyses of the 2008 FBSR Product Streams (Product Receipt (PR), High Temperature Filter (HTF), and Off Gas Filter (OGF)) showed similar chemical characteristics to the 2006 FBSR Product Streams (PR, HTF, and Process Baghouse Filter). The 2008 X-Ray Diffraction's (XRD's) showed similar soluble and insoluble species as seen in 2006. The 2008 elemental analyses showed that the PR product stream had higher aluminum and silica, and less sodium and nitrite than seen in the 2006 product samples. These analytical differences are due in part to the chemical dissimilarities between the Bestac coal used in 2008 versus the Erwin coal used in 2006. When the elemental analyses are converted and normalized into product oxides and carbonates then the apparent elemental weight percent differences between the 2008 and 2006 product samples diminish.

The 2008 and 2006 results both demonstrated that the organics (tetra-, tri, bi-, and mono-phenyl borates) nitrites, and nitrates in the feed are being destroyed greater than 99% and that a primarily sodium carbonate product is being formed.