Session: 05-02: Liquid Waste Treatment Process and Experience

Paper Number: 58266

58266 - Nochar Technologies for the Solidification of Complex L/ilw Liquid Radioactive Waste: Global Case Studies of Applications and Disposal Options 

International Conference on Radioactive Waste Management and Environmental Management

Stuttgart, Germany                                                                                                                           October 3-6, 2023

Track 5: L/ILW Radioactive Waste Management

       Nochar Technologies for the Solidification of Complex L/ILW Liquid Radioactive Waste:  Global Case Studies of Applications and Disposal Options

                                                               Dennis Kelley, Vista Nuclear Solutions, Inc.  USA                                                                                                                                 Dennis Campbell, Nochar, Inc.   USA

Abstract                                                                                                                                                                                          ICEM

     Legacy waste streams from the Cold War still exist and newly generated waste streams from power plants and research institutes go untreated and expose environmental hazards at many nuclear site.  Smaller quantities of complex liquids such as oil, organic (toluene, benzene, TBP) streams, mixed sludge types with heavy metals and H-3, acidic solutions, etc. are present at many global nuclear sites.  Environmental and economic challenges exist for the treatment and disposal of such waste streams.

     For the past 20 years, a solidification technology has been applied to LRW on a global basis that provides a high performance, low cost solution to legacy streams and small volume, complex LRW frequently found during daily operations and decommissioning.  The engineered polymer technology from Nochar, USA, is capable of solidifying standard and highly complex LLW and ILW streams for interim or final storage and for incineration.  This paper examines several global case studies, describing the specific problems, treatment processes and disposal options.  A few examples are:

     U.K., Harwell & Sellafield                                                                                                                                                               Operations at Harwell have incorporated the use the N960 polymer along with other products to retrieve remote handled intermediate level waste (RH-ILW) from the legacy tube stores.  The tube stores were constructed in 1950 and are now undergoing decommissioning.  At Sellafield an extensive test program was initiatied in 2006 to evaluate the polymers' effectiveness with over 90 oil sludge types.  Additional test work and evaluations were completed in 2020 for the Low Level Waste Repository.  The solidified forms were encapsulated in cement.

     France, Cadarache                                                                                                                                                                         Cadarache LOR waste streams, two radioactive scintillation cocktails, were treated with the polymers and solidified by STMI-AREVA.  One complex waste stream consisted of organic compounds TBP, xylene, mesitylene and diphenyloxazole and water.  The solidification work led to an examination of possible disposal routes in France at ANDRA and Cyclife (Socodei).  TBP projects with ONET Technologies will also be discussed.

      United States, U.S. Department of Energy, Rocky Flats                                                                                                                Rocky Flats, Colorado, was the first major weapons site to undergo decommissioning in the early 2000's.  Orphan waste streams were problematic as there was no authorized pathway for treatment or disposal.  The transuranic (TRU) waste streams included plutonium, mixed organic waste with freon, carbon tetrachloride and trichloroethylene, used pump oil and a methanol based waste with cyclohexane.  The RLW was solidified solidified, packed in steel drums and placed in final storage at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).

      Italy, Bosco Marengo                                                                                                                                                                      In 2017, SOGIN, Italy's state-owned company responsible for decommissioning and radioactive waste management, began a search to determine a suitable treatment for 1.5 cm of LLW oil / water / sludge waste at the Bosco Marengo site.  The oil portion of the waste was solidified with N910 polymer and encapsulated in cement for final storage.  The project was successfully completed in 2021.

     Romania, Cernavoda NPP                                                                                                                                                             In 2008, Cernavoda NPP began a program to solidify lubricating oil from their CANDU 6 reactors through its prime contractor, Mate-Fin.  The oil contains a high value of tritium.  Over the years large volumes of oil and scintillation fluid have been solidified by N910 and N960 polymers and shipped to Cyclife, Sweden and Belgoprocess, Belgium for incineration.

     Other projects involving complex waste streams in Russia, China, Kazakhstan and Slovenia will be discussed.

Presenting Author: Dennis Kelley Vista Nuclear Solutions, Inc.

Presenting Author Biography: Dennis Kelley, Vista Nuclear Solutions, Inc.

Has represented Nochar, Inc. for 22 years in all international markets.