Pilot-Industrial Conditioning of Spent Radioactive Ion exchange Resins

During the processing of liquid radioactive waste (LRW) at nuclear power facilities, concentrates (highsalt LRW) and spent filter materials are produced, the main of which are ion exchange resins (IER). The available volumes for their storage at all Russian facilities are almost exhausted. A significant share of IER in the total amount of accumulated LRW excludes the possibility of their joint processing. For the processing of IER, it is necessary to create special installations. At present moment there are no industrial installations for IER processing in Russia. Various methods of processing and conditioning of radioactive IER used in the world practice were tested at RADON FSUE. Among them, destructive methods (pyrolysis, peroxide oxidation, supercritical water oxidation) and non-destructive methods (drying, dehydration, inclusion in matrix materials) were tested. The comparison of different methodes is carried out according to the following criteria: compliance with the requirements of regulatory documents, the specific activity of the IER and the availability of certified packaging, the capacity of the installation. The cost of IER processing by technologies that meet the selected evaluation criteria is estimated. Minimum handling costs are typical for dewatering and incorporation into the polymer binder. Therefore, further work was aimed at testing this technology of IER conditioning on a pilot-industrial scale. (author)