Solidification of Radioactive Wastes with Thermosetting Resin
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SOLIDIFICATION OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES WITH THERMOSETTING RESIN WAKAMATSU,5) M. HAYASHI,I) K. KOBAYASHI,2) 0. OKAMOTO,3) T. KAGAWA 4) K. H. IRIE, H. MATSUURA,7) K. YASUMURA,7) Y. NAKAYAMA 2) Tokyo Electric Power Co.;1') Tohoku Electric Power Co., Chubu Electric Power Co.3) Chugoku Electric Power Co.,AP Japan Atomic Power Co., Toshiba Corp., NAIG Lab.,7 JAPAN
ABSTRACT Dried simulated radioactive wastes were solidified with thermosetting resin and their properties were investigated with laboratory scale and real scale products through extensive testings, such as mechanical resistance, resistance to leaching and swelling in water, radiation resistance, fire resistance and resistance to temperature cycling. The 2 typical results were as follows: over 600 kg/cm of compres2 137 sive strength, diffusion constant of _10-5 cm /day for Cs leaching from solidified waste products, no significant change was found for up to 5 x 108 RAD irradiation, and damages were limited to the surface of the products after the thermal test and dropping impact test.
INTRODUCTION The recent development of energy dependence on nuclear power plants has resulted in an acceleration of radioactive waste generation. In Japan, electric power generation depends increasingly on the nuclear power plants, which has resulted in the production of more and more drums of low level radioactive wastes. The most conventional solidification method in Japanese nuclear power plants is cementization, with the cementized products being disposed in the deep sea in Western Pacific area. The practice of sea dumping is not an easy solution, however, because of the difficulties in achieving a full consensus of opinion in the Pacific area and in Japan. The solidified products are, at present, being stored at the power plant sites until the final disposal scheme becomes practicable. Cementization is satisfactory for the solidification of radioactive wastes in nuclear power plants and for their deep sea disposal. However, a twofold increase in radioactive wastes is produced during solidification and the volume increase causes difficulties to the extent that final disposal is difficult. Therefore, storage at the power plant is inevitable at the present time. The volume reduction of radioactive wastes is now a most urgent matter in Japan. Bituminization processes are applied in some of nuclear power plants because the process reduces the volume of radioactive wastes. However, the properties of bituminized products are not satisfactory because of the poor mechanical and 0 thermal properties, their fluidity temperatures of >25 C and their poor resistance to fire. In order to develop a solidification process whose products have the merits of cementized products and bituminized products, we selected thermosetting resin as a binder and developed the solidification system. We conducted extensive tests in order to obtain data on the radioactive waste immobilizing ability of the products. Our investigation on the properties of solidified products of simulated boiling water
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