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U.S. Department of Energy
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Preliminary Study on Recycling and Reuse of Metals from Decommissioning in Construction of Disposal Vaults in Slovakia - 17217

Conference ·
OSTI ID:22794605
The decommissioning of nuclear installations represents a complex process resulting in the generation of large amounts of various waste materials. Majority of them are non-contaminated, however some of them may be hazardous as well (e.g. chemicals, asbestos, oil products, etc.). During decommissioning of NPP, significant quantities of materials with various levels of radionuclides concentration arise as well. All of these materials should be managed appropriately keeping in mind safety principles, legislative requirements, lessons learned and other relevant factors. Therefore, selection of an appropriate strategy for management of the materials arising from decommissioning is crucial and strongly influences the overall effectiveness of decommissioning process. In line with international incentives for optimization of radioactive material management, concepts of recycling and reuse of slightly radioactive materials are widely discussed and applications of these concepts are analyzed. Therefore, the paper is devoted to the preliminary study of potential for recycling of re-melted metals from decommissioning in form of reinforcement bars or mesh used in the construction of ferro-concrete disposal vaults within the near surface repository. The paper presents the preliminary results and discusses the technical and non-technical aspects related to the recycling scenario. Moreover, comparison of various scenarios related to the scrap metal clearance and recycling within nuclear industry is included. Key findings and lessons learned from study may be useful for the international community dealing with waste management optimization and in particular with recycling of materials within nuclear industry. (authors)
Research Organization:
WM Symposia, Inc., PO Box 27646, 85285-7646 Tempe, AZ (United States)
OSTI ID:
22794605
Report Number(s):
INIS-US--19-WM-17217
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English