an overview of waste technology section activities to support … · an overview of waste...

IAEAInternational Atomic Energy Agency

An Overview of Waste Technology Section activities to support legacy

waste issues

Zoran Drace, Susanta K. Samanta, Antonio Morales Leon,

Michael I. Ojovan

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I. Introductions to Waste Technology Section Activities

II. Development of Technical Guidance

III. Coordinated Research Projects

CEG IAEA Workshop, 17-19.05.2011 2

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I. Introductions to Waste Technology Section Activitieshttp://www.iaea.org/OurWork/ST/NE/NEFW/wts_home.html


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WTS Role

The Waste Technology Section is

responsible for fostering technology

transfer, promoting information exchange

and cooperative research, and building

capacity in Member States to manage

radioactive wastes, resulting both from the

nuclear fuel cycle and nuclear applications.

WTS Mission

To enhance the capacity of Member States

to manage their nuclear and radiological

liabilities, including radioactive waste,

decommissioning, environmental

remediation and radioactive sources, in a

safe, sustainable, and cost-effective

manner.


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II. Development of Technical Guidance


http://www.iaea.org/OurWork/ST/NE/NESeries/ClickableMap/

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1. Upgrading of Near Surface Repositories for Radioactive Waste, 2005 Technical Reports Series No. 433

2. Remediation of Sites with Mixed Contamination of Radioactive and Other Hazardous Substances 2005, Technical Reports Series No. 442

3. Radioactive Sodium Waste Treatment and Conditioning: Review of Main Aspects , 2006, IAEA TECDOC Series No. 1534

4. Characterization, Treatment and Conditioning of Radioactive Graphite from Decommissioning of Nuclear Reactors, 2006, IAEA TECDOC Series No. 1521

5. Retrieval of Fluidizable Radioactive Wastes from Storage Facilities, TECDOC-1518, August 2006

6. New Developments and Improvements in Processing of 'Problematic' Radioactive Waste, 2007, IAEA TECDOC Series No. 1579

7. Retrieval, Restoration and Maintenance of Old Radioactive Waste Inventory Records, TECDOC-1548, 2007

8. Retrieval and Conditioning of Solid Radioactive Waste from Old Facilities-IAEA TRS #456, 2007

9. Strategy and Methodology for Radioactive Waste Characterization, TECDOC-1537, March 2007

10.Long Term Preservation of Information for Decommissioning Projects, 2008, Technical Reports Series No. 467

11.Determination and Use of Scaling Factors for Waste Characterization in Nuclear Power Plants, NE Series No. NW-T-1.18, April 2009

Publications supporting management of Legacy Waste


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IAEA CRPs are based on voluntary contribution of its participants (R&D or technology development organizations) to present and discuss their results;

IAEA provide modest funding support to organizations from developing countries;

IAEA funds participation on Research Coordination Meetings (RCM) of all participants to a CRP.

IAEA CRPs are tools to:• Establish multilateral cooperation of interested MSs on the

topical issues;• Encourage exchange of advanced information on the on-

going research and development activities in Member States and facilitate access to the practical results of their application;

• Promote either multilateral or bilateral research agreements/contracts among its participants;

• Disseminate information on the state of art to all MSs by publishing IAEA technical document;

III. Coordinated Research Projects

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• Participants from 10-15 countries• Duration of 3-5 years• Research co-ordination meetings (RCMs)

− IAEA organizes periodic meetings (usually 3 RCMs) to facilitate exchange of progress, discussions and bilateral/multilateral collaborations.

• Results of CRP are published as Agency Reports


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WTS Coordinated Research Projects:http://www.iaea.org/OurWork/ST/NE/NEFW/wts_home.html

Behaviours of Cementitious Materials in Long Term Storage and Disposal, 2007-2010

Upgrading of Near Surface Disposal Facilities

Use of numerical models in support of site characterization and performance assessment studies of geologic repositories


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• The behaviour and performance of cementitious materials in long term storage and disposal within the IAEA Coordinated Research Project involves 26 research organizations from 21 Member States;

• The objective of the IAEA CRP is to investigate the behaviour and performance of cementitious materials used for an overall waste conditioning system based on use of cement, including waste packages, wasteform and backfilling, as well as interaction and interdependencies of these individual elements during long term storage and disposal, and understand the processes that can result in the degradation of their physical and chemical properties.

Behaviours of Cementitious Materials in Long Term Storage and Disposal, 2007-2010

Leading IAEA Officer – Zoran Drace; Chief Investigator – Michael Ojovan (University of Sheffield)

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Specific Objectives

(i) cementitious materials for radioactive waste packaging: including radioactive waste immobilisation into waste form, waste backfilling and containers; (ii) emerging and alternative cementitious systems; (iii) physical-chemical processes occurring at the production of cement compounds (cement hydration) and their influence on the cement compound quality; (iv) methods of production of cementitious materials for: immobilization into waste form, backfills and containers; (v) conditions envisaged for packages (physical and chemical conditions, temperature variations, groundwater, radiation fields); (vi) testing and non-destructive monitoring techniques for cementitious materials; (vii) waste acceptance criteria for waste packages, waste forms and backfills; and (viii) modelling or simulation of long term behaviours of cementations materials used for packaging, waste immobilisation and backfilling during long term storage and disposal.


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Participants 1/3

MS, Organisation, Researchers

Research topics

Australia, ANSTO, D. Perera, P. McGlinn, K. Hart

Emerging and alternative cementitious systems based on geopolymers for low level and intermediate level radioactive waste immobilisation. Water transport through cement-based repository materials and sorptivity processes – preliminary studies using neutron imaging

Belgium, SCK·CEN, W. Bastiaens, E. Martens, P. Van Iseghem

Behaviour of cementitious materials in long term storage and disposal of radioactive waste. Behaviour of cementitious materials and interactions with host environment in radioactive waste disposal

Brazil, IPEN-CNEN/SP, R. Vicente

Assessment of the durability of cementitious materials in repository environment

China, NUDT, S. Bai, S. Yang

The immobilisation of radioactively contaminated soil in cementitious materials

China, INNET, J. Li Cementation of waste resins by calcium sulfoaluminatecement


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Participants 2/3

Czech Republic, NRI Rez, A. Vokal

Development of waste matrices for immobilisation of problematic wastes from Czech nuclear power plants

Egypt, AEAE, A. El-Kamash

Evaluation of the use of synthetic zeolite as a backfill material in radioactive waste disposal facility

Finland, Fortum, M. Ek Cementitious materials in handling of radioactive waste - Overview of activities in Fortum/Finland

France, CEA/Valhro, C. Cau Dit Coumes

Behaviour of cementitious materials in long term storage and disposal. Potential of calcium sulfoaluminate cements to immobilise ZnCl2-containing wastes

India, BARC, D.S. Deshingkar, R.G. Yeotikar

Characterisation, improvement and long term evaluation of cementitious waste products – an Indian scenario

Korea, KHNP/NETEC, J.H. Yoon, J. Wan Park

Long term behaviour of cementitious materials in the Korean repository environment

Romania, NIPNE, F. Dragolici

Long term behaviour evaluation of cement conditioning matrices used for management of radioactive wastes at IFIN-HH

Russia, SIA RADON, A. Varlakov.

Cementitious composite for immobilisation of radioactive waste into final waste form

Russia, VNIINM, L. Soukhanov

Methods and production of cementitious materials for immobilisation into waste form. Specific of cementation process of some kinds of liquid radioactive waste of radiochemical plants. Cementation of certain types of liquid radioactive waste of radiochemical plant


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Participants 3/3

Serbia, Vinca INS, I. Plecac, D. Kićević

Behaviours of cementitious materials in long term storage and disposal

Slovakia, AllDeco, M. Breza

Behaviour of aluminosilicate inorganic matrix SIAL during and after solidification of radioactive sludge and radioactive spent resins and their mixtures

Slovenia, ARAO, N. Zeleznik, A. Sajna

Assessment and measurements of degradation processes in the engineered barriers of LILW repository

South Africa, NECSA, W. Meyer

Behaviour of cementitious materials in multipurpose packaging for transportation, long term storage and disposal

Sweden, SKB, B. Torstenfeld, L. Almkvist

Cement waste matrix evaluation and modelling of the long-term stability of cementitious waste matrices. Thermodynamic modelling

Switzerland, PSI, A. Wallisch

Long-term mechanical stability and leaching behaviour of a solidified radioactive sludge

Ukraine, IEG, B. Zlobenko

Assessment of the biodegradability of containers for low- and intermediate-level nuclear waste

UK, Aberdeen University, F. Glasser

Cements in radioactive waste disposal

UK, Sheffield University, M. Ojovan

Acoustic emission monitoring of cementitious wasteforms

USA, NRC, C. Langton Cementitious barriers partnership DOE/NRC Project overview


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Research Outcomes

The main research outcomes of IAEA CRP will be presented in four topical streams

1. Conventional cementitious systems; 2. Novel materials and technologies; 3. Testing and waste acceptance criteria; and4. Modelling long term behaviour.


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1. Conventional cementitious systems

• Conventional cementitious systems are of interest practically in all MS involved in the CRP. Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) is the most common type of cement used for immobilizing liquid and wet solid wastes worldwide.

• Several OPC based mixtures are currently used to improve the characteristics of waste forms and overcome the incompatibility problems associated with the chemical composition of certain types of radioactive waste.

• Composite systems offer cost reduction, energy saving and potentially superior long-term performance.

• Cement systems, however, are complex because of polyphase clinker and the amorphous ill defined hydration phases formed.

• The addition of supplementary cementitious materials such as blast furnace slag or pulverised fuel ash, which also react with the cement, increases the complexity of the system.


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Suspension for the

cementation in mixer

Cement material

LRW

Oils

1

2

3

4 5

SRW GroutProbe


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USA: In-situ Decommissioning Strategies: SRS Reactor Facility Closures


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2. Novel materials and technologies

Limitations in the properties of Portland cement have led to the development of novel binders. Many types of novel cement have been reported: the four selected for discussion here are available in individual reports, together with application examples.An example is the stabilisation of soluble zinc salts: they interfere with hydration of Portland cement but are well tolerated in C$A cements.



Some novel cements have a history of commercial use and are known to be durable in a range of natural service environments. Standards are available for C$A and CAC cements.

For novel and conventional cementitious materials emplaced in the same repository no incompatibility problems have been identified.

Although used the geopolymer- and phosphate- type cements still require optimisation with promising research results.

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3. Testing and waste acceptance criteria

Alternative characterization techniques for cementitiousmaterials, such as neutron imaging, acoustic emission, STEM and FTIR were demonstrated as possible techniques to complement the study of the durability of cementitiousmaterials.

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Acoustic emission technique was used for early detection, characterisation and time progress description of cracking phenomenon caused by the corrosion of Al encapsulated in cement matrix.


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4. Modelling long term behaviour.

In a chemical approach to cementitious materials degradation (Prof. F. Glasser) four states of evolution are suggested for benchmarking.

Geochemist's Workbench, PHREEQC, GEMS and ORCHESTRA are examples of computer codes used with various thermodynamic databases to predict the long-term evolution of cementitious materials in the near field environment. These codes are used to link the cementitious material degradation with radionuclide sorption and solubility parameters in the near field subsurface environment.


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0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

CO2 addition [g/100g cement]

solid

s [g

/100

g c

emen

t]

calcite

C-S-H (Ca/Si const. ~ 1.6)

C-S-H (Ca/Si decreasing)

SiO2

(amorphous)thaumasite

Al(OH)3

monocarboaluminate

ettringite

portlandite

stratlingite

I II (portlandite carbonation) (carbonation of remaining hydrates including C-S-H)III

(fully car- bonated)IV

gypsum

Ca/Si~1.6 pH (constant) ~ 12.5 Ca/Si~1.6 -> ~0.8 pH (decreasing) ~ 12.5 -> ~10

Ca/Si (const)~0.8 pH ~ 10

pH ~ 7.7

Effect of carbonation on the mineralogy of hydrated ordinary Portland cement

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New CRP on Processing technologies for HLW, formulation of matrices and characterization of wasteforms 2011-2014

−CRP will address problems in the area of waste immobilization and is of interest to countries that have either adopted the closed fuel cycle or could decide to do so in future.

−CRP contributes to the solution of existing and anticipated future problems related to processing techniques, properties of matrices, and waste-form characterisation.

−Potential participants: Australia, Belgium, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Russia, Slovakia, UK, USA and others.

Leading IAEA Officer – Dr. Susanta K. SamantaCEG IAEA Workshop, 17-19.05.2011 34

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Research objectives:• Direct chemical or physical treatment of

graphite leading to its disposal in an alternative form to solid graphite, with economic and long-term radiological benefits;

• Pre-treatment of graphite ahead of other disposal or innovative treatment, usually in order to reduce the radio-isotope content and to facilitate the economics and radiological safety of the following process operations;

• Treatment of the products of innovative process to improve radiological safety or for economic improvement (such as separation and recycling of useful isotopes for the nuclear and/or medical industries).

New CRP on Treatment of Irradiated Graphite to Meet Acceptance Criteria for Waste Disposal, 2011-14

Leading IAEA Officer – Zoran DraceCEG IAEA Workshop, 17-19.05.2011 35

an overview of waste technology section activities to support … · an overview of waste...

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