Volume-reducing solidification process for radioactive solid wastes and apparatus used therefor

Purpose: To enable volume-reducing solidification of radioactive solid wastes with no tritium leakages at all. Constitution: Radioactive solid wastes are compressed in a press to form a pre-compaction products, which are encapsulated in a metallic capsule and then de-gassed and tightly sealed, followed by the application of isostatic hot press into dense integrated products. In this process, the temperature of the metallic capsule is increased prior to the degassing and the tight sealing, to oxidize tritium gases released from the pre-compaction products into water by the action of an oxidizing agent disposed within the metallic capsule, if required, by the aid of an oxidizing catalyst. Thereafter, the metallic capsule is degassed and tightly sealed in a state where water is confined to the inside thereof. (Kawakami, Y.)