Regional waste treatment with monolith disposal for low-level radioactive waste

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1983 · Nucl. Chem. Waste Manage.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0191-815X(83)90057-8· OSTI ID:6224231

Forsberg, C W

An alternative system is proposed for the disposal of low-level radioactive waste. This system, called REgional Treatment with MOnolith Disposal (RETMOD), is based on integrating three commercial technologies: automated package warehousing, whole-barrel rotary kiln incineration, and cement-based grouts for radioactive waste disposal. In the simplified flowsheet, all the sludges, liquids, resins, and combustible wastes are transported to regional facilities where they are incinerated. The ash is then mixed with special cement-based grouts, and the resulting mixture is poured into trenches to form large waste-cement monoliths. Wastes that do not require treatment, such as damaged and discarded equipment, are prepositioned in the trenches with the waste-cement mixture poured on top. The RETMOD system may provide higher safety margins by conversion of wastes into a solidified low-leach form, creation of low-surface area waste-cement monoliths, and centralization of waste processing into a few specialized facilities. Institutional problems would be simplified by placing total responsibility for safe disposal on the disposal site operator. Lower costs may be realized through reduced handling costs, the economics of scale, simplified operations, and less restrictive waste packaging requirements.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
• OSTI ID: 6224231
• Journal Information: Nucl. Chem. Waste Manage.; (United States), Journal Name: Nucl. Chem. Waste Manage.; (United States) Vol. 4:4; ISSN NCWMD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ASHES
BUILDING MATERIALS
CEMENTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMBUSTION
COOPERATION
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
DIAGRAMS
FLOWSHEETS
LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MIXING
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
OXIDATION
PACKAGING
PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
REGIONAL COOPERATION
RESIDUES
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE FORMS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES