PURPOSE OF THE R&D PROGRAMME IS THE INVESTIGATION OF THE INDUSTRIAL OPERATION OF A MOBILE WASTE CONDITIONING PLANT (MOWA) WITH REGARD TO QUALITY CONTROL.

THE APPLICATION OF THE PROPOSED CONTROLS IS EVALUATED BY COMPARING THE PRODUCT QUALITIES FROM INACTIVE SIMULATED FULL SCLAE TESTS AND LABO. SCALE PREPARATIONS.

EXPECTED RESULTS ARE THE REALIZATION OF THE PROPOSED QUALITY ASSURANCE PROCEDURES AND THE TECHNICAL IMPROVEMENTS OF PROCESS CONTROL.

THE MOWA PLANT OPERATION CAN BE OUTLINED AS FOLLOWS: THE SIMULATED WASTE, AS IT IS OR PRETREATED, IS PUMPED FROM A STORAGE TANK INTO A METERING TANK INSIDE THE MOWA AND CHECKED FOR TEMPERATURE, DENSITY AND VOLUME BY MEANS OF THE EXTERNAL CONTROL PANEL. AFTER STIRRING IT IS TRANSFERRED TO THE CONDITIONING STATION, WHERE A 200 OR 400 LITER STEEL DRUM WITH A NON-RECOVERABLE STIRRER, PREVIOUSLY FILLED WITH THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF INCORPORATION MATRIX (CEMENT OR POLYMER), IS READY TO RECEIVE IT.

AT LAST THE DRUM IS TRANSPORTED AWAY BY A FORK LIFT AND THE FINAL WASTE FORM IS LEFT TO CURE AND HARDEN.
The general aim of the present work is the qualification of samples arising from the cementation of low and medium level wastes, in particular bead ion exchange resins, filter sludges, boiling water reactor evaporator concentrates and decontamination solutions. The properties of the final waste forms, prepared by means of a mobile waste conditioning plant, have been compared with those of laboratory scale samples.

In the context of a quality assurance programme, the cement mixes have been characterized in order to define the process parameters, such as set time, heat evolution, presence of free standing liquids, mass and volume efficiency. Particular attention was devoted to mechanical and thermal properties, biodegradability and behaviour versus water, which was found to relate to the retention capacity of the hydraulic cement for major contaminants.
1. OPTIMIZATION OF RECIPES FOR THE CEMENTATION WITH MOWA OF BEAD ION-EXCHANGE RESINS, FILTER SLUDGES, BWR EVAPORATOR CONCENTRATES.
2. LABO. SCALE TESTS IN THE FRAME OF A QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAMME.
3. MOWA PLANT OPERATION AND COLLECTION OF PROCESS DATA TO BE COMPARED WITH STANDARD PROCESS PARAMETERS FIXED BEFORE.
4. FULL SCALE TESTS.