Applicability of molten salt oxidation to the destruction of actinide-contaminated wastes

A 1989 ban on incineration in the state of New Mexico caused cessation of actinide-contaminated cheesecloth, paper, and wood incineration within the Plutonium Facility (TA-55) at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Subsequently, plastic wipes were substituted for cheesecloth in the cleaning of glovebox interiors. However, waste minimization is not achieved by these measures since the wipes are discarded as Waste Isolation Pilot Plant certifiable wastes. After the ban was instituted, thermal decomposition of cheesecloth under argon at elevated temperature was examined and found satisfactory although scale of operation and speed were inferior to incineration. In 1991, the ban on incineration was lifted in New Mexico but Alamos has not chosen to pursue renewal of incineration at the Plutonium Facility. This paper reports that Los Alamos is looking from alternatives to incineration and thermal decomposition which are compatible with molten salt processing technology, historically a strength in actinide research at the Laboratory. Also, the technology must significantly reduce the volume of the waste upon treatment, i.e. waste minimization. Molten salt oxidation (MSO) has the promise of such a technology