Characterization of solidified radioactive waste due to the incorporation of high- and low-density polyethylene granules and titanium dioxide in mortar matrices
- Inst. of Nuclear Sciences Vinca, Belgrade (Yugoslavia)
The rutile form of titanium dioxide and granules of high density polyethylene (PEHD) and low density polyethylene (PELD) were used to prepare mortar matrices for immobilization of radioactive waste materials containing {sup 137}Cs. PELD, PEHD and TiO{sub 2} were added to mortar matrix preparations with the objective of improving physico-chemical characteristics of the radwaste-mortar matrix mixtures, in particular the leach-rate of the immobilized radionuclide. One type of PELD and two types of PEHD were used to replace 50 wt.% of stone granules normally used in the matrix, in order to decrease the porosity and density of the mortar matrix and to avoid segregation of the stone particles at the bottom of the immobilized radioactive waste cylindrical form. TiO{sub 2} was also added to the mortar formulation, replacing 5 and 8 wt.% of the total cement weight. Cured samples were investigated under temperature stress conditions, where the temperature extremes were: T{sub min} = {minus}20 C, T{sub max} = +70 C. Samples were periodically immersed in distilled water at the ambient room temperature, after each freezing and heating treatment. Results of accelerated leaching experiments for these samples and samples prepared exclusively with polyethylenes replacing 100% of the stone granules and TiO{sub 2}, treated in nonaccelerated leaching experiments, were compared. Even using an accelerated ageing leach test that overestimates {sup 137}Cs leach rates, it can be deduced, that radionuclide leach rates from the radioactive waste mortar mixture forms were improved. Leach rates decreased from 5%, for the material prepared with stone aggregate, to 3.1 to 4.0%, for the materials prepared solely with PEHD, PELD or TiO{sub 2}, and to about 3% for all six types of the TiO{sub 2}-PEHD and TiO{sub 2}-PELD mixtures tested.
- OSTI ID:
- 572067
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-961202-; TRN: 98:003706
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 1996 Fall meeting of the Materials Research Society (MRS), Boston, MA (United States), 2-6 Dec 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1997; Related Information: Is Part Of Scientific basis for nuclear waste management XX; Gray, W.J. [ed.] [Pacific Northwest National Lab., Richland, WA (United States)]; Triay, I.R. [ed.] [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)]; PB: 1389 p.; Materials Research Society symposium proceedings, Volume 465
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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