Proven technologies for the treatment of complex radioactive liquid waste streams. U.S. department of energy and international case studies

Radioactive liquid waste streams, particularly organic waste, have been difficult to treat by absorption and encapsulation processes in the past, due to eventual leaching and instability in the matrix of the final mass. Previous usage of polymers and other sorbent materials for liquid solidification in the 1980's and 1990's proved to be unsafe and unreliable on a worldwide basis. The U.S. DOE recognized the unreliable methods of liquid waste treatment in the 1990's and decided to seek out more reliable means of solidification. As a result of a technology demonstration and deployment program initiated and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy commencing in 1997, a commercially available absorbent technology was applied to radioactive liquid waste streams. Today the technology provides a safe manner in which to treat liquid waste and enables safe transport to storage or repository sites. Additionally, the technology is flexible in its use for short and intermediate storage, final burial in a repository or incineration. Through extensive scientific research and direct field applications over the last eight years in the U.S. and internationally, the Nochar polymer technology has demonstrated cost effectiveness and reliability for the solidification of low, intermediate and high level waste products. Nochar's Petrobond and Acidbond are a group of 3rd generation polymers designed to solidify organics, sludges, acids, alkaline and aqueous radioactive waste into a solid matrix. Unlike standard sorbents, which work by ''adsorption'' (surface collection), the polymers ''absorb'' the liquid waste creating a low volumetric increase in the process. The final waste form results in a durable matrix which prevents leaching, while locking up metals, even in a high mega rad environment. This paper examines several case studies and projects that illustrate Nochar's solidification technology for use on simple and complex waste streams. (author)