CA1226380A - Method of packaging radioactive waste - Google Patents

Method of packaging radioactive waste

Info

Publication number
CA1226380A
CA1226380A CA000453020A CA453020A CA1226380A CA 1226380 A CA1226380 A CA 1226380A CA 000453020 A CA000453020 A CA 000453020A CA 453020 A CA453020 A CA 453020A CA 1226380 A CA1226380 A CA 1226380A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
radioactive waste
emulsion
water
waste
packaging
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA000453020A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Pierre A. Crouzet
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Syncrete SA
Original Assignee
Syncrete SA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Syncrete SA filed Critical Syncrete SA
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1226380A publication Critical patent/CA1226380A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • GPHYSICS
    • G21NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
    • G21FPROTECTION AGAINST X-RADIATION, GAMMA RADIATION, CORPUSCULAR RADIATION OR PARTICLE BOMBARDMENT; TREATING RADIOACTIVELY CONTAMINATED MATERIAL; DECONTAMINATION ARRANGEMENTS THEREFOR
    • G21F9/00Treating radioactively contaminated material; Decontamination arrangements therefor
    • G21F9/28Treating solids
    • G21F9/30Processing
    • G21F9/301Processing by fixation in stable solid media
    • GPHYSICS
    • G21NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
    • G21FPROTECTION AGAINST X-RADIATION, GAMMA RADIATION, CORPUSCULAR RADIATION OR PARTICLE BOMBARDMENT; TREATING RADIOACTIVELY CONTAMINATED MATERIAL; DECONTAMINATION ARRANGEMENTS THEREFOR
    • G21F9/00Treating radioactively contaminated material; Decontamination arrangements therefor
    • G21F9/04Treating liquids
    • G21F9/06Processing
    • G21F9/16Processing by fixation in stable solid media
    • GPHYSICS
    • G21NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
    • G21FPROTECTION AGAINST X-RADIATION, GAMMA RADIATION, CORPUSCULAR RADIATION OR PARTICLE BOMBARDMENT; TREATING RADIOACTIVELY CONTAMINATED MATERIAL; DECONTAMINATION ARRANGEMENTS THEREFOR
    • G21F9/00Treating radioactively contaminated material; Decontamination arrangements therefor
    • G21F9/04Treating liquids
    • G21F9/06Processing
    • G21F9/16Processing by fixation in stable solid media
    • G21F9/162Processing by fixation in stable solid media in an inorganic matrix, e.g. clays, zeolites
    • G21F9/165Cement or cement-like matrix
    • GPHYSICS
    • G21NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
    • G21FPROTECTION AGAINST X-RADIATION, GAMMA RADIATION, CORPUSCULAR RADIATION OR PARTICLE BOMBARDMENT; TREATING RADIOACTIVELY CONTAMINATED MATERIAL; DECONTAMINATION ARRANGEMENTS THEREFOR
    • G21F9/00Treating radioactively contaminated material; Decontamination arrangements therefor
    • G21F9/28Treating solids
    • G21F9/30Processing
    • G21F9/301Processing by fixation in stable solid media
    • G21F9/302Processing by fixation in stable solid media in an inorganic matrix
    • G21F9/304Cement or cement-like matrix

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
The packaging of radioactive waste encompasses providing the waste in a state saturated in water followed by a mixing thereon with a resin and a monomer such to produce an emulsion to which a hydraulic binder is added such to produce a concrete.
This method allows a stable packaging of radio-active waste whereby at the one hand certain radiations are blocked and any danger of the waste leaking out of the storage container is prevented.

Description

~2G380 t42 962 I) A METHOD OF PACKAGING RADIOACTIVE WASTE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
-l FIELD OF THE INVENTION

ThP present invention relates to a packaging of radioactive waste such to store the waste in mentioned condition.
Radioactive waste which is more or less radio-active and is presently produced specifically in nuclear reactors creates an ever increasing number of problems with regard to their storage and no satisfactory solutions thereto have been hitherto found.
One of the problems relates to the selecting of the applicable technique of packaging radioactive waste.
"Radioactive waste" is used to define on the one hand materials which contain radioactive products and are present, for instance, in the form of spheres of ion-exchanging material which are enriched by radioactive chemical products and mixed with water to practically -- 1 .~

3~2;~63~3Q

saturation (about 50~) and on the other hand also radio-active sludges containing, for instance, uranium fluorate or uranium fluorite.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Two of the most important solutions to men tioned problem comprise packaging the radioactive waste which preferably initially has been brought into the - shape of small spheres or pearls, which packaging is made by means of glass or a synthetical cement.
For carrying out the last mentioned method cannis~ers of concrete or metal are provided, which are filled with the radioactive waste present in form of small spheres and with synthetie cement called "Synroc".
The product "Synroc" has been developed in Australia by Professor D. Ringwood of the Australian National Uni-versity.
Test results have, however, revealed that the stability of "Synroc" raises some problems. This materia1 is prone to a partial degrading, specifically by acids produced by the radiation of the radioactive waste and the water present in the "Synroc". Improved results
3~

have been arrived at during tests attempting to immobilize the spheres or pearls, respectively, of the radioactive waste in glassy blocks. Since glass lacks the crystal boundaries of ordinary metals, thus has no individual crystals such as ordinary metals, atomic matter, i.e.
the radioactive waste, embedded in the glassy block cannot readily leave through ito The following steps are followQd for the package of radioactive particles: Add boric acid, sand and lithium hydroxide to the radioactive waste present pre-ferably in the shape of spheres or pearls. Heat this mass thereafter to over 1000 C and then allow it to ; cool so that it sets into cylindrical bodies. Thereafter, these cylindrical bodies can be enclosed in metal cannisters.
This method is, however, not absolutely danger-proof and specifically under such circumstances where water can penetrate into the glassy mass in one or the other way.
The problem to be solved in COnneCtiQn with the present invention is the blocking of spheres, i.e.
tiny balls of an ion-exchanginy resin enriched by rare radioactive chemical substances to which water has been admixed practically up to saturation (about 50%) within a concrete.

-~2~

The cannister receiving these microballs must be absolutely tight and leak-proof because these sub-stances absorb quite strongly water and are inclined to rather increase their volume due to their absorptîon of water. This generates forces of such a magnitude that the concrete can rupture the cannisters. This in turn leads to the danger that radioactive products can pene-trate towards the outside.
Presently numerous methods are known regarding --the packaging of radioactive substances in which either polymers (German method MOWA) or polystyrene (SETRAG-method) are utilized. However, none of these known methods :.
is completely satisfactory because either due to a defi-cient stabllity of form or due to a leaking out speci-fically of the ions of cesium.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A general object of the present invention is to provide a new procedure regarding the packaging of radio-active waste.

20~ further object of the invention is to provide a method of packaging radioactive waste encompassing the 3~

steps of pro~7iding a mixture of radioactive waste which i5 suspended in water to saturation, of a resin and of a monomer such to producP an emulsion with the radioactive waste, its water, the resin and the monomer, and of adding a hydraulic binder to the emulsion such to produce a concrete.
Preferably, the resin is an unsaturated polyester resin.
Specifically, utilizable emulsions are such which are disclosed, for instance, in the U.S. patents, nos. 4 115 336 and 204 ga8 as well as in the Australian patents, nos. 513 486 and 515 778.
The inventive method consists accordingly in producing an emulsion such as disclosed, for instance, in the U.S. patents, nos. 4 115 336 and 4 204 988 or the Australian patents, nos. 513 486 and 515 778 by utiliza-tion of water, in which the radioactive spheres are deposited, and that thereafter the concrete is produced with this emulsion.
Only the free water in the suspension is uti-lized for producing the emulsion, whereby the micro-spheres remain always saturated. If the cement is added to the mixture, the emulsion is self-destructed. Then, ~2~6~

the polymer encases the microspheres and the water accumulated thereat and the balance of the water is absorbed by the cement. The encased or packaged, rev spectively/ spheres can no longer lose water and, because they are in a saturated condition, they also cannot take up any water.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention will be more fully under-stood by reference to the following detailed description thereof based on an example.
500 kg of a resin produced in accordance with the U.S. patents, nos. 4 115 336, 4 204 988 and the Australian patents, nos. 513 486 and 515 778 are placed into a container.
During a continuous agitation or mixing, re-spectively, 600 kg of radioactive waste including the water in which the waste is suspended, are gradually added such to produce an emulsion.
In order to stabiliæe the emulsion produced as above 5 kg of a colloidal silica ("Aérosil" of DEGUSSA) as well as 10 kg of titanium oxide and 3 kg of 3~1D

antimonyoxide are added.
The total weight of this mixture is 1618 kg, whereby however the emulsion proper weighs only 650 kg, because only 150 kg free water is present in the mixture containing the spheres having a weight of 600 kg to pro-duce the emulsion (composition of the 60G kg : 300 kg rigid spheres, 150 kg inner water, 150 kg free water).
In order to produce a correct concrete the hydraulic binder must be added only in function of the 650 kg emulsion.
In the above mentioned example, in which the ratio emulsion/cement of 4/5 has been taken into con-sideration, 812 kg hydraulic binder is added, the binder consisting of 567 kg Portland cement and 245 kg pouzzolana as well as 26 kg catalyst l weight percent of the emul-sion). The mixture cement/pouzzolana is produced for the reason of blocking certain ions of cesium because such a blocking effect of the cesium ions can be made by the pouzzolana.
Additives can be added to the concrete pro-duced such as set forth above, such as, for instance, barium sulphate or colemanite which can also be used for a blocking of certain radiation due to their high molecu-~2Z~i3~3~

lar weight The relations between the index of acid and the OH-index of the resins as well as the numbex of the specific OH-indices are as follows:
OH-indices between 45 and 100, indices of acid/
OH-indices 0.20 to 0.50.
While thexe is shown and descxibed a present preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (6)

I CLAIM:
1 A method of packaging radioactive waste, comprising the steps of suspending radioactive waste in water to saturation, adding a polyester resin and a monomer to said suspension and forming an emulsion of the radioactive waste, water, the resin and the monomer, and adding a hydraulic binder containing a catalyst to the emulsion and forming a concrete with the binder and emulsion.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said resin is an unsaturated polyester resin.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said monomer is unsaturated.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said hydraulic binder comprises products which hydraulically react with water, and mixtures of such products.
5. A method of packaging radioactive waste, comprising the steps of suspending radioactive waste in water to saturation, adding a polyester resin and a monomer to said suspension and forming an emulsion of the radioactive waste, water, the resin and the monomer, adding a stabilizer to the emulsion, and adding a hydraulic binder containing a catalyst to the emulsion and forming a concrete with the binder and emulsion.
6. The method of claims 1 or 5 wherein the product which hydraulically reacts with water is at least of lime, cement and pouzzolana.
CA000453020A 1983-04-29 1984-04-27 Method of packaging radioactive waste Expired CA1226380A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CH2329/83A CH654436A5 (en) 1983-04-29 1983-04-29 PROCESS FOR COATING RADIOACTIVE WASTE.
CH2329/83-6 1983-04-29

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1226380A true CA1226380A (en) 1987-09-01

Family

ID=4231268

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000453020A Expired CA1226380A (en) 1983-04-29 1984-04-27 Method of packaging radioactive waste

Country Status (12)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0124825A3 (en)
JP (1) JPS6040998A (en)
CA (1) CA1226380A (en)
CH (1) CH654436A5 (en)
DE (1) DE3415433A1 (en)
FR (1) FR2545258B1 (en)
GB (1) GB2140194B (en)
IL (1) IL71682A (en)
IT (1) IT1213161B (en)
NL (1) NL8401345A (en)
SE (1) SE8402303L (en)
ZA (1) ZA843148B (en)

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS6266198A (en) * 1985-09-19 1987-03-25 動力炉・核燃料開発事業団 Method of solidifying and processing radioactive waste solvent
FR2607957A1 (en) * 1986-12-05 1988-06-10 Commissariat Energie Atomique BLOCK CONTAINING WASTE FOR THEIR STORAGE AND METHOD OF MAKING SUCH A BLOCK
FR2678761B1 (en) * 1991-07-03 1994-07-01 Commissariat Energie Atomique BLOCK CONTAINING CONTAMINATED ION EXCHANGE RESINS AND PROCESS FOR PREPARING THE SAME.
FR3002866B1 (en) * 2013-03-08 2018-02-02 Noe Jacquier Energie DESAMIANTING DEVICE AND METHOD

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2366234A1 (en) * 1976-04-27 1978-04-28 Crouzet Pierre Building material contg. polyester - and siliceous material and a setting material e.g. hydraulic cement
US4077901A (en) * 1975-10-03 1978-03-07 Arnold John L Encapsulation of nuclear wastes
FR2361724A1 (en) * 1976-08-12 1978-03-10 Commissariat Energie Atomique STORAGE PROCESS FOR CONTAMINATED ION EXCHANGER RESINS
DE2717656A1 (en) * 1977-04-21 1978-10-26 Nukem Gmbh PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF LEAK-RESISTANT AND SALINE-RESISTANT BLOCKS FROM CEMENT AND RADIOACTIVE WASTE
WO1980000047A1 (en) * 1978-06-08 1980-01-10 Bp Chem Int Ltd Encapsulating wastes
IT1195040B (en) * 1981-05-11 1988-09-28 Snial Resine Poliestere Spa Ca COMPOSITIONS OF MATTER CONTAINING RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL BASED ON ION EXCHANGERS

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
IT1213161B (en) 1989-12-14
EP0124825A3 (en) 1986-03-26
GB2140194A (en) 1984-11-21
GB8410843D0 (en) 1984-06-06
DE3415433A1 (en) 1984-10-31
ZA843148B (en) 1984-11-28
CH654436A5 (en) 1986-02-14
JPS6040998A (en) 1985-03-04
GB2140194B (en) 1987-05-07
IT8420746A0 (en) 1984-04-30
FR2545258A1 (en) 1984-11-02
SE8402303D0 (en) 1984-04-26
SE8402303L (en) 1984-10-30
NL8401345A (en) 1984-11-16
FR2545258B1 (en) 1988-10-14
EP0124825A2 (en) 1984-11-14
IL71682A (en) 1987-09-16

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