Progress in Solidification of Radioactive Waste Resins Using Specific Cement

Conference · Sat Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 2006

OSTI ID:21208575

Li, J F; Ye, Y C; Wang, J L ^[1]

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1. Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology - INET, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

A kind of special cement (Named as ASC) was used in radioactive spent resins solidification in China. A prescription of X ASC cement + 0.5 X waste resins (50% water hold) + 0.35 X water was obtained first. In order to control the temperature rise caused by hydration of cement in 200 L solidification matrix, various supplementary materials were tried. Based on compressive strength tests and center temperature rise, super powered zeolite was selected. In addition, more resins were added to reduce the center temperature rise. A superior combination was obtained as ASC 35 wt.%, zeolite 7 wt.% to mix 42 wt.% of resins (50% water hold) with 16 wt.% of water. The microstructures of hydrated OPC, ASC and ASC with different zeolite addition were compared by means of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). From the SEM pictures, the structures of the needles or spines can be seen in ASC matrices and the needles structure of ASC change into flake structure gradually with more zeolite added. The simulated leaching tests showed that inclusion of zeolite in ASC reduced the leaching rates of radionuclides significantly. From 200 L matrix test, the centre temperature curve was measured, and the highest temperature was lower than 90 deg. C. No thermal cracks were found in the final solidified products. (authors)

• Research Organization: WM Symposia, Inc., PO Box 13023, Tucson, AZ, 85732-3023 (United States)
• OSTI ID: 21208575
• Report Number(s): INIS-US--09-WM-06054
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
CEMENTING
CEMENTS
LEACHING
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RESINS
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SIMULATION
SOLIDIFICATION
ZEOLITES