Immobilization of radioactive waste in cement-based matrices

Tobermorite and xonotlite, two synthetic calcium silicate hydrates, improve the Cs retention of cement matrices for Cs, when incorporated at the 6 to 10% level. A kinetic and mechanistic scheme is presented for the reaction of fine grained, Cs-loaded clinoptilolite with cement. The Magnox waste form reacts quickly with cement, leading to an exchange of carbonate between waste form and cement components. Carbonation of cements leads to a marked improvement in their physical properties of Cs retentivity. Diffusion models are presented for cement systems whose variable parameters can readily be derived from experimental measurements. Predictions about scaled-up behaviour of large immobilized masses are applied to extrapolation of laboratory scale results to full-size masses. (author)