The WOX process - New volume reduction technology for reactor waste

During 1984 to 1986 ASEA-ATOM has together with Vattenfall carried out tests of a wet oxidation process for volume reduction of spent organic ion exchange resins in both laboratory and pilot plant scale. ASEA-ATOM started the development of this process in 1983 in cooperation with EKA Nobel AB, a major manufacturer of the oxidizing agent hydrogen peroxide, who contributed with their knowledge about the specific chemistry regarding the hydrogen peroxide in the oxidation process. In 1984 a large amount of the laboratory experiments, both non-radioactive simulated tests and real tests with condensate cleanup resins, were carried out. These experiments resulted in the construction of a pilot plant, designed to treat batches of 100 kg dry resin. Non-radioactive pilot plant tests were performed in the ASEA-ATOM laboratories and the hot tests were executed at the nuclear power plant at Forsmark in cooperation with Vattenfall. During the radioactive tests resins from the condensate cleanup system were used. The results from these tests have been most satisfactory regarding both the process, the equipment and the final product. Furthermore, during 1986 also some powdered resins from the Italian BWR plant Caorso were treated with good results. The obtained volume reduction cement solidification, a volume reduction factor of 15, can be achieved by the new WOX process