Magnesium Phosphates Binding Systems for Immobilizing Solvent Radioactive Wastes

Abstract

The immobilization process of radioactive solvent wastes produced during nuclear power plants operation tends to be safe and technically feasible perhaps its most important advantage from the safety point of view is the low chamber temperature and lower explosion risk. Radioactive solvent wastes resulted from Cernavoda NPP decontamination operations consist of miscellaneous acetone, toluene, methanol, chloroform, trichloroethan, white spirit, ethylene glycol and water. Magnesium phosphate binding systems are new cement-materials which could be used for the immobilization of radioactive wastes for the set-retarding effect of solvent radioactive waste in other matrices (Portland cement, composite cement). The paper presents the influence of mineral additive on the properties of solvent waste form, mainly the setting time and the leach rate of tritium. Results of the experiments have shown that using magnesium phosphate binding systems-mineral additive, could do the solidification of solvent radioactive wastes by better results. It can thus be anticipated that the level of expectation towards magnesium phosphate binding systems will remain high and probably increase for the other organic radioactive wastes (oils, scintillation liquids).

Metakaolin-Reinforced Sulfoaluminate-Cement-Solidified Wasteforms of Spent Radioactive Resins—Optimization by a Mixture Design

“…When the ion exchange sites of resins are saturated with radionuclides, they lose purification capacity and are discharged from treatment columns, thus forming spent radioactive resins to be solidified and disposed of. Cement solidification, with the advantages of low cost, operability, and good radiation resistance of the solidified wasteforms, is currently the most widely used solidification technique for treating spent resin before final disposal [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. New cement compositions besides ordinary Portland cement (OPC) offers fresh perspectives on radioactive waste solidification, especially for wastes that are challenging for OPC to solidify [16,17].…”