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IMMOBILISATION OF CLADDING WASTE BY PRESS COMPACTION AND CONDITIONING FOR FINAL DISPOSAL BY ENCAPSULATION IN A LEAD CONTAINMENT.

Objective

AT PRESENT, CLADDING WASTE IS EITHER TEMPORARILY STORED UNDER WATER, OR CONDITIONED BY EMBEDMENT IN CEMENT. AN ALTERNATIVE CONDITIONING METHOD CONSISTS OF PRESS COMPACTION, FOLLOWED BY ENCLOSURE IN A SEAMLESS LEAD CORROSION RESISTANCE OF THE CONDITIONED PRODUCT IN CLAY AS A FINAL DISPOSAL INACTIVE CONDITIONS, IN A SIMULATED HOT CELL/1/.

THE MAIN AIMS OF THE ACTUAL PROJECT ARE :

- THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE PRESS COMPACTION TECHNOLOGY ON PILOT SCALE;
- THE ACTIVE DEMONSTRATION ON PILOT SCALE OF THE CONDITIONING TECHNIQUE WITH REPRESENTATIVE CLADDING WASTE.;
- THE EVALUATION OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PRODUCTS OBTAINED, IN VIEW OF THEIR FINAL DISPOSAL.

THE WORK IS CARRIED OUT IN CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH KFK-GERMANY, WHERE THE PRESS COMPACTION TECHNIQUE WILL BE DEVELOPED ON THE INDUSTRIAL SCALE.
The research programme proposes an alternative conditioning method for cladding waste. This method is based on cold press compaction of the hulls to about 80% of the theoretical density of zircalloy. The final conditioning consists of encapsulation of the compaction products in a corrosion resistant container. As clay is used as the final disposal medium for this kind of waste, seamless lead containment has been chosen as the corrosion barrier.
The press compaction technology was further developed at pilot scale under nonradioactive conditions. The influence of the chop length, of the addition of softer materials (lead or aluminium) and of variations in the compaction procedure was examined. Further, the hot cell infrastructure was finished and the equipment for a hot demonstration with 100 kg active hulls was installed and tested. A welding unit for the triple containment vessel, comprising stainless steel, lead and stainless steel, has been adapted for hot cell conditions and the welding parameters set up. Finally, all the operations in the cell were reviewed and checked in simulated active conditions.
B1. FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF PRESS COMPACTION TECHNOLOGY UNDER INACTIVE CONDITIONS.
B2. EQUIPMENT OF A HOT CELL FACILITY FOR PRESS COMPACTION AND CONDITIONING OF RADIOACTIVE CLADDING HULLS.

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Call for proposal

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Coordinator

BELGIAN NUCLEAR RESEARCH CENTRE
EU contribution
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200,Herrmann Debrouxlaan 40-42
1160 BRUXELLES
Belgium

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Participants (1)