Laboratory and pilot plant studies for the solidification of aluminium rich HLW produced by EUREX plant

During the years 1970/1974 at the EUREX nuclear pilot plant, in Saluggia, 506 MTR elements were reprocessed producing about 85 m3 of aqueous raffinate from the first extraction cycle (1AW MTR). ENEA started research activities to study a suitable treatment to fix the radioactive waste in a glass matrix; two main approaches have been developed: - The direct vitrification of the 1AW MTR waste with an in-can melting vitrification plant. This approach has been studied in an inactive pilot plant called IVET, - The declassification option to separate the radioactive fraction (mainly Cs, Sr and Actinides) from the salt matrix, developed on a laboratory scale with traced solutions. It is foreseen to test it with real 1AW MTR solutions in a hot cell and, a cold pilot plant is under construction to verify a certain number of engineering aspects