Method of treating radioactive ion exchange resin wastes

Purpose: To simply and safely decrease the volume of radioactive ion exchange resin wastes. Method: Radioactive ion exchange resin wastes are dried and then carbonized through pyrolysis and resultant chars are burnt out. Ashes from incineration are formed into lumps by way of compression, sintering, etc. Steams, decomposition gases and combustion gases generated are treated separately but, since they are less in the amount and causing no dusts, the treatment is easy. Further, radioactive ion exchange resin wastes are mixed with carbon components such as activated carbon wastes or returned chars in a mixing section and the mixture is heated to dry under electrical current supply while being present between electrodes in a drying section. Further, the drying product is present between the electrodes of the pyrolyzing section and pyrolytically carbonized by heating under electrical current supply, and resultant chars are burnt out in a burning section. In this way, radioactive ion exchange resin wastes can be processed at a high volume-reducing efficiency, in a device of a simple structure and by the process that can be operated at an ambient pressure with high safety, automatically and under remote control. Further, the waste heat can be recovered for reuse. (Kamimura, M.)