Conditioning Experiments of Organic Solvents Solutions Contaminated With Tritium

The method consists in the conditioning of organic solvents solutions contaminated with tritium (acetone, ethylene alcohol, methanol, trichloromethane, toluene, white spirit) into a cement and proper solidification additives matrix. Portland cement is the most common type of hydraulic cement and is the original agent utilized for the solidification of low-level radioactive waste. The paper contents: • the characterization of conditioning matrix components: waste, cement, additives; • preliminary laboratory tests on waste, cement and additives; • mechanical resistance verifications of conditioning matrix (results, tables); • leaching tests for tritium (results, graphs). This method is very simple, with low cost of working materials and long shelf life of working materials. The operator exposure is negligible because there is not any vapor problem. The values of mechanical resistance are higher than the disposal minimal value. Rate of release of tritium from the waste form as a result of interaction with water is very low. The higher values of mechanical resistant and the low rate of tritium released from the waste form offer security for transportation and final disposal of the waste placed in cement.