Microwave processing of remote-handled transuranic wastes at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Waste Handling and Packaging Plant (WHPP) is investigating the feasibility of applying microwave energy to melt Remote-Handled Transuranic (RH TRU) sludges. The initial bench-scale tests with surrogate sludges have shown that wet or dry surrogates can be processed into solid monoliths that meet the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) waste acceptance criteria (WAC). Sodium Nitrate (NaNO/sub 3/) binds the other solids when the wt% of NaNO/sub 3/ is greater than or equal to the wt% of the other solids. Microwave penetration depth experiments have shown that a wet slurrey absorbs microwave energy within a few cm of the slurry surface while dried surrogates below 100/degree/C are heated throughout the depth (20 cm) of the surrogate volume. The latest bench scale processing of wet surrogates has demonstrated good process control, provided that certain diagnostics which monitor, temperature, boiling absorbed microwave power, and arcing are implemented.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 6378629
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-890207-7; ON: DE89007818
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Waste management '89, Tucson, AZ, USA, 26 Feb 1989; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Status of microwave process development for RH-TRU (remote-handled transuranic) wastes at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
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Related Subjects
ALPHA-BEARING WASTES
MICROWAVE HEATING
ORNL
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
CERAMICS
GLASS
HIGH TEMPERATURE
LIQUID WASTES
ROCKY FLATS PLANT
SODIUM NITRATES
SOLID WASTES
STAINLESS STEELS
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ALLOYS
HEATING
HIGH ALLOY STEELS
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
MATERIALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NITRATES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
STEELS
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTES
052002* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage