Abstract
The presence of long-lived radionuclides dispersed in PWR fuel cladding wastes makes them unsuitable for surface disposal. A reprocessing plant with an annual capacity of 800 metric tons of fuel produces some 230 tons of such waste with an apparent volume of 300 m{sup 3}. Cladding wastes are currently conditioned in France by cement embedding. An alternative process, cold-crucible induction melting with continuous ingot drawing, has been developed by the Commissariat a l`Energie Atomique at Marcoule. The process reduces the radioactive hull volume by a factor of at least 6, and the external surface area by a factor of 150. It also provides for partial decontamination of the metal by concentrating the {alpha}-emitters and {sup 90}Sr in the melting slag, while the cesium is volatilized and recovered in the off-gas. The decontamination factor has continued to improve as development work progresses, and is now 85% for {alpha}-emitters. The ingot specific activity is 0.8 Ci.t{sup -1} (29.6 GBq.t{sup -1}), not far from the limit of 0.1 Ci.t{sup -1} (3.7 GBq.t{sup -1}) for decategorization of {alpha}-bearing waste. The ongoing work program focuses on two areas: enhanced decontamination of the metal, and characterization to assess its containment properties. The process produces a secondary
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Citation Formats
Berthier, P, Boen, R, Piccinato, R, and Ladirat, C.
Compaction of radioactive PWR cladding hulls by high-temperature cold-crucible melting.
France: N. p.,
1993.
Web.
Berthier, P, Boen, R, Piccinato, R, & Ladirat, C.
Compaction of radioactive PWR cladding hulls by high-temperature cold-crucible melting.
France.
Berthier, P, Boen, R, Piccinato, R, and Ladirat, C.
1993.
"Compaction of radioactive PWR cladding hulls by high-temperature cold-crucible melting."
France.
@misc{etde_10138729,
title = {Compaction of radioactive PWR cladding hulls by high-temperature cold-crucible melting}
author = {Berthier, P, Boen, R, Piccinato, R, and Ladirat, C}
abstractNote = {The presence of long-lived radionuclides dispersed in PWR fuel cladding wastes makes them unsuitable for surface disposal. A reprocessing plant with an annual capacity of 800 metric tons of fuel produces some 230 tons of such waste with an apparent volume of 300 m{sup 3}. Cladding wastes are currently conditioned in France by cement embedding. An alternative process, cold-crucible induction melting with continuous ingot drawing, has been developed by the Commissariat a l`Energie Atomique at Marcoule. The process reduces the radioactive hull volume by a factor of at least 6, and the external surface area by a factor of 150. It also provides for partial decontamination of the metal by concentrating the {alpha}-emitters and {sup 90}Sr in the melting slag, while the cesium is volatilized and recovered in the off-gas. The decontamination factor has continued to improve as development work progresses, and is now 85% for {alpha}-emitters. The ingot specific activity is 0.8 Ci.t{sup -1} (29.6 GBq.t{sup -1}), not far from the limit of 0.1 Ci.t{sup -1} (3.7 GBq.t{sup -1}) for decategorization of {alpha}-bearing waste. The ongoing work program focuses on two areas: enhanced decontamination of the metal, and characterization to assess its containment properties. The process produces a secondary waste form constituted by the slag, which contains the long-lived radionuclides, {sup 90}Sr and cesium. The short-term solution will be to vitrify the slag; from a longer term perspective, however, it constitutes an indispensable step in implementing an advanced radioactive waste management policy of actinide separation and transmutation to reduce the long-term disposal hazard. (authors). 8 tabs., 2 figs., 5 refs.}
place = {France}
year = {1993}
month = {Dec}
}
title = {Compaction of radioactive PWR cladding hulls by high-temperature cold-crucible melting}
author = {Berthier, P, Boen, R, Piccinato, R, and Ladirat, C}
abstractNote = {The presence of long-lived radionuclides dispersed in PWR fuel cladding wastes makes them unsuitable for surface disposal. A reprocessing plant with an annual capacity of 800 metric tons of fuel produces some 230 tons of such waste with an apparent volume of 300 m{sup 3}. Cladding wastes are currently conditioned in France by cement embedding. An alternative process, cold-crucible induction melting with continuous ingot drawing, has been developed by the Commissariat a l`Energie Atomique at Marcoule. The process reduces the radioactive hull volume by a factor of at least 6, and the external surface area by a factor of 150. It also provides for partial decontamination of the metal by concentrating the {alpha}-emitters and {sup 90}Sr in the melting slag, while the cesium is volatilized and recovered in the off-gas. The decontamination factor has continued to improve as development work progresses, and is now 85% for {alpha}-emitters. The ingot specific activity is 0.8 Ci.t{sup -1} (29.6 GBq.t{sup -1}), not far from the limit of 0.1 Ci.t{sup -1} (3.7 GBq.t{sup -1}) for decategorization of {alpha}-bearing waste. The ongoing work program focuses on two areas: enhanced decontamination of the metal, and characterization to assess its containment properties. The process produces a secondary waste form constituted by the slag, which contains the long-lived radionuclides, {sup 90}Sr and cesium. The short-term solution will be to vitrify the slag; from a longer term perspective, however, it constitutes an indispensable step in implementing an advanced radioactive waste management policy of actinide separation and transmutation to reduce the long-term disposal hazard. (authors). 8 tabs., 2 figs., 5 refs.}
place = {France}
year = {1993}
month = {Dec}
}