High Temperature Melting Treatment of Simulated Structural Concrete Nuclear Waste

Abstract

Abstract: A large amount of low-level radioactive concrete nuclear waste with contamination and activation will be generated when the nuclear facilities are decommissioned. Glass material has been used to immobilize kinds of radioactive wastes because of its wide incorporation to radioactive elements and excellent chemical durability, compared with traditional cement solidification. In this paper, the simulated structural concrete nuclear waste was treated by high temperature melting. The concrete was vitrified with the glass additive (~26% (mass fraction) SiO₂, ~13% (mass fraction) B₂O₃ and ~6% (mass fraction) Na₂O) at 1 300 ℃, and the chemical durability of thus resulted glass waste form meets the disposal requirements for low-level waste form. The volatilization behavior of the simulated nuclides at high temperature and their local structure in the glass were finally discussed. The results can provide the basic information to vitrify the concrete nuclear waste.

Key words: decommissioning of nuclear facility, radioactive solid waste, concrete, vitrification, chemical durability, volatility

CLC Number:

TL941

LIU Chunyu, YUAN Yukun, LI Lili, FANG Guang, XU Kai. High Temperature Melting Treatment of Simulated Structural Concrete Nuclear Waste[J]. BULLETIN OF THE CHINESE CERAMIC SOCIETY, 2023, 42(8): 2781-2786.

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