In-drum vitrification of transuranic waste sludge using microwave energy
Microwave vitrification of transuranic (TRU) waste at the Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant is being tested using actual TRU waste in a bench-scale system and simulated waste in a pilot system. In 1987, bench-scale testing was completed to determine the effectiveness of in-drum microwave vitrification of simulated precipitation sludge. The equipment used in the bench tests included a 6-kW, 2.45-GHz microwave generator, aluminum cavity, turntable, infrared (IR) thermometer, and screw feeder. Results similar to those achieved in bench-scale testing are reproducible using a 915-MHz microwave system in solidifying simulated TRU sludge. Nine samples have been processed to date. Also, preliminary results using actual TRU waste indicate that the actual waste will behave in a similar way to the surrogate waste used in the 2.45-GHz system. Work is ongoing to complete the TRU waste tests.
- OSTI ID:
- 6927502
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-891103--
- Journal Information:
- Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (USA), Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (USA) Vol. 60; ISSN TANSA; ISSN 0003-018X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ALPHA-BEARING WASTES
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
BORATES
BORAX
BORON COMPOUNDS
DIATOMACEOUS EARTH
EQUIPMENT
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
HEATING
JACKETS
MATERIALS
MATERIALS HANDLING EQUIPMENT
MICROWAVE HEATING
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PILOT PLANTS
PRECIPITATION
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
REMOTE HANDLING EQUIPMENT
ROCKY FLATS PLANT
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SIMULATION
SLUDGES
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
VITRIFICATION
VOLUME
WASTES