Waste management technology development and demonstration programs at Brookhaven National Laboratory

Conference · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:10110117

Kalb, P D; Colombo, P

Two thermoplastic processes for improved treatment of radioactive, hazardous, and mixed wastes have been developed from bench-scale through technology demonstration: polyethylene encapsulation and modified sulfur cement encapsulation. The steps required to bring technologies from the research and development stage through full-scale implementation are described. Both systems result in durable waste forms that meet current Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Environmental Protection Agency regulatory criteria and provide significant improvements over conventional solidification systems such as hydraulic cement. For example, the polyethylene process can encapsulate up to 70 wt % nitrate salt, compared with a maximum of about 20 wt % for the best hydraulic cement formulation. Modified sulfur cement waste forms containing as much as 43 wt % incinerator fly ash have been formulated, whereas the maximum quantity of this waste in hydraulic cement is 16 wt %.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 10110117
• Report Number(s): BNL--46158; CONF-911231--3; ON: DE92005028
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052001
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
BINDERS
BNL
DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS
ECONOMICS
ENCAPSULATION
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PORTLAND CEMENT
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SOLIDIFICATION
STABILIZATION
THERMOPLASTICS
WASTE PROCESSING