Abstract

Within the framework of developing advanced processes for nuclear waste treatment, Ansaldo Nucleare is developing and testing an innovative technology to perform the conditioning of radioactive ferrous waste materials, classified as Low and Intermediate Level Waste (LILW), resulting from decommissioning activities of Nuclear Facilities.

This technology is based on a patented process dedicated to the treatment of decontamination solutions coming from the pickling process of the metallic components, with the aim to minimize the waste to be disposed, in an inert final product, and maximize the freely released material, that once it is decontaminated can be recycled. The process results in the production of a radioactive sludge, made mostly of iron-phosphate salts, which can be thermally treated to produce a ready-to-storage, homogenous and chemically resistant glass product. The process was first tested at laboratory scale and then in a pilot plant, installed at Politecnico di Milano.

The main strengths of this innovative technology are:

• Lower amount of fresh materials/chemicals requested for the waste treatment, resulting in lower costs associated with the process, also thanks to the continuous recycling of the pickling solution;

• Lower volume and higher long-term stability of the nuclear waste for the final storage;

• Facility with reduced footprint and transportable, designed to be installed in commercial containers.

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