Process description and plant design for preparing ceramic high-level waste forms
The ceramics process flow diagram has been simplified and upgraded to utilize only two major processing steps - fluid-bed calcination and hot isostatic press consolidating. Full-scale fluid-bed calcination has been used at INEL to calcine high-level waste for 18 y; and a second-generation calciner, a fully remotely operated and maintained calciner that meets ALARA guidelines, started calcining high-level waste in 1982. Full-scale hot isostatic consolidation has been used by DOE and commercial enterprises to consolidate radioactive components and to encapsulate spent fuel elements for several years. With further development aimed at process integration and parametric optimization, the operating knowledge of full-scale demonstration of the key process steps should be rapidly adaptable to scale-up of the ceramic process to full plant size. Process flowsheets used to prepare ceramic and glass waste forms from defense and commercial high-level liquid waste are described. Preliminary layouts of process flow diagrams in a high-level processing canyon were prepared and used to estimate the preliminary cost of the plant to fabricate both waste forms. The estimated costs for using both options were compared for total waste management costs of SRP high-level liquid waste. Using our design, for both the ceramic and glass plant, capital and operating costs are essentially the same for both defense and commercial wastes, but total waste management costs are calculated to be significantly less for defense wastes using the ceramic option. It is concluded from this and other studies that the ceramic form may offer important advantages over glass in leach resistance, waste loading, density, and process flexibility. Preliminary economic calculations indicate that ceramics must be considered a leading candidate for the form to immobilize high-level wastes.
- Research Organization:
- Rockwell International Corp., Canoga Park, CA (United States). Energy Systems Group
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC09-79ET41900
- OSTI ID:
- 6445719
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ET/41900-16; ESG-DOE-13397; ON: DE83007885
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions are illegible in microfiche products. Original copy available until stock is exhausted
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
DESIGN
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
SOLIDIFICATION
BOROSILICATE GLASS
CERAMICS
FLOWSHEETS
FLUIDIZED BED
HOT PRESSING
LEACHING
SYNTHETIC ROCKS
DIAGRAMS
DISSOLUTION
FABRICATION
GLASS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MATERIALS WORKING
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PRESSING
PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
ROCKS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SYNTHETIC MATERIALS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES
052001* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Processing