Improvement of the IRIS Process for Incineration of Various Radioactive Waste Compositions
Incineration represents a promising weight and volume reduction technique for alpha-contaminated organic waste. Following several years of laboratory research initiated in 1983 on a nonradioactive prototype unit at the CEA's Rhone Valley (Marcoule) Research Center, an innovative process, IRIS, has been developed to meet the need for processing nuclear glove box waste containing large amounts of chlorine. In March 1999, the first highly chlorinated alpha-contaminated waste was incinerated in the industrial facility based on the IRIS process at the CEA's Valduc Center. The nonradioactive prototype at Marcoule and the radioactive facility at Valduc demonstrated that the process is highly effective with a continuously fed rotating tubular kiln and with a very effective control of corrosion by pyrolytic decomposition of the waste initially at 550 C. The ash quality meets specification requirements (< 1% carbon, < 1% chlorine) and the volume and weight reduction factors are sufficient (around 30). The offgas treatment system exhibits very high operating efficiency complying with gaseous emission standards.
- Research Organization:
- Commissariat a l'energie Atomique, Rhine Valley Research Center, Bagnols-sur-Ceze (FR)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- none (US)
- OSTI ID:
- 827633
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Waste Management 2003 Symposium, Tucson, AZ (US), 02/23/2003--02/27/2003; Other Information: PBD: 26 Feb 2003
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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