Method for acid oxidation of radioactive, hazardous, and mixed organic waste materials

Patent · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1999

OSTI ID:872557

Pierce, Robert A ^[1]; Smith, James R ^[2]; Ramsey, William G ^[1]; Cicero-Herman, Connie A ^[1]; Bickford, Dennis F ^[3]

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1. Aiken, SC
2. Corrales, NM
3. Folly Beach, SC

The present invention is directed to a process for reducing the volume of low level radioactive and mixed waste to enable the waste to be more economically stored in a suitable repository, and for placing the waste into a form suitable for permanent disposal. The invention involves a process for preparing radioactive, hazardous, or mixed waste for storage by contacting the waste starting material containing at least one organic carbon-containing compound and at least one radioactive or hazardous waste component with nitric acid and phosphoric acid simultaneously at a contacting temperature in the range of about 140.degree. C. to about 210 .degree. C. for a period of time sufficient to oxidize at least a portion of the organic carbon-containing compound to gaseous products, thereby producing a residual concentrated waste product containing substantially all of said radioactive or inorganic hazardous waste component; and immobilizing the residual concentrated waste product in a solid phosphate-based ceramic or glass form.

• Research Organization: WESTINGHOUSE SAVANNAH RIVER CO
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-89SR18035
• Assignee: Westinghouse Savannah River Company (Aiken, SC)
• Patent Number(s): US 5960368
• OSTI ID: 872557
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/588/210/
140
210
acid
based ceramic
carbon-containing
carbon-containing compound
ceramic
component
compound
concentrated
concentrated waste
contacting
containing
containing compound
containing substantial
containing substantially
degree
directed
disposal
duct containing
economically
enable
form
form suitable
gaseous
gaseous product
gaseous products
glass
hazardous
hazardous waste
immobilizing
inorganic
involves
level
level radioactive
material
material containing
materials
method
mixed
mixed organic
mixed waste
nitric
nitric acid
organic
organic carbon
organic waste
oxidation
oxidize
period
permanent
permanent disposal
phosphate-based
phosphoric
phosphoric acid
placing
portion
preparing
preparing radioactive
process
producing
product
product containing
products
radioactive
range
reducing
repository
residual
residual concentrated
simultaneously
solid
starting
starting material
storage
stored
substantially
sufficient
suitable
temperature
time
time sufficient
volume
waste
waste material
waste materials
waste product
waste starting