Durability of incinerator ash waste encapsulated in modified sulfur cement
Waste form stability under anticipated disposal conditions is an important consideration for ensuring continued isolation of contaminants from the accessible environment. Modified sulfur cement is a relatively new material and has only recently been applied as a binder for encapsulation of mixed wastes. Little data are available concerning its long-term durability. Therefore, a series of property evaluation tests for both binder and waste-binder combinations have been conducted to examine potential waste form performance under storage and disposal conditions. These tests include compressive strength, biodegradation, radiation stability, water immersion, thermal cycling, and leaching. Waste form compressive strength increased with ash waste loadings to 30.5 MPa at a maximum incinerator ash loading of 43 wt %. Biodegradation testing resulted in no visible microbial growth of either bacteria or fungi. Initial radiation stability testing did not reveal statistically significant deterioration in structural integrity. Results of 90 day water immersion tests were dependent on the type of ash tested. There were no statistically significant changes in compressive strength detected after completion of thermal cycle testing. Radionuclides from ash waste encapsulated in modified sulfur cement leached between 5 and 8 orders of magnitude slower than the leach index criterion established by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for low-level radioactive waste. Modified sulfur cement waste forms containing up to 43 wt % incinerator fly ash passed EPA Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) criteria for lead and cadmium leachability. 11 refs., 2 figs., 5 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76CH00016
- OSTI ID:
- 6019983
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-45292; CONF-910559-2; ON: DE91011730
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 10. annual international incineration conference: environmental concerns and controls, Knoxville, TN (USA), 13-17 May 1991
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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42 ENGINEERING
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
CEMENTS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
ENCAPSULATION
LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
ASHES
BIODEGRADATION
CADMIUM
INCINERATORS
LEACHING
LEAD
RADIATION EFFECTS
STRESS ANALYSIS
SULFUR
THERMAL STRESSES
TOXIC MATERIALS
WASTE FORMS
WATER
BUILDING MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECOMPOSITION
DISSOLUTION
ELEMENTS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MATERIALS
METALS
NONMETALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RESIDUES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
STRESSES
TESTING
WASTES
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