Abstract
An overview is given of an International Atomic Energy Agency Coordinated Research Project (CRP) on the treatment of irradiated graphite (i-graphite) to meet acceptance criteria for waste disposal. Graphite is a unique radioactive waste stream, with some quarter-million metric tons worldwide eventually needing to be disposed of. The CRP has involved 24 organizations from 10 Member States. Innovative and conventional methods for i-graphite characterization, retrieval, treatment and conditioning technologies have been explored in the course of this work, and offer a range of options for competent authorities in individual Member States to deploy according to local requirements and regulatory conditions.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
IAEA, Graphite Moderator Lifecycle Behaviour, Proceedings of a Specialists Meeting held in Bath, United Kingdom, 24–27 Sept 1995; IAEA-TECDOC-901, Vienna (1996).
IAEA, Nuclear Graphite Waste Management: Technical Committee Meeting on Nuclear Graphite Waste Management, Manchester UK, 18–20 October 1999, IAEA CD-ROM 01-00120, Vienna (2001).
IAEA (2010). Progress in Radioactive Graphite Waste Management. IAEA-TECDOC-1647, IAEA, Vienna (2010).
IAEA, Characterization, Treatment and Conditioning of Radioactive Graphite from Decommissioning of Nuclear Reactors. IAEA-TECDOC-1521, IAEA, Vienna (2006).
I.F. White, G.M. Smith, L.J. Saunders, C.J. Kaye, T.J. Martin, G.H. Clarke and M.W. Wakerley, Assessment of Management Modes for Graphite from Reactor Decommissioning, Commission of the European Communities, EUR 9232, Brussels, (1984).
A. Banford, H. Eccles, M. Graves, W. von Lensa, S. Norris. CARBOWASTE–An Integrated Approach to Irradiated Graphite. Nuclear Future, 4, 268–270 (2008).
IAEA. (2013). Nuclear Technology Review. IAEA, Vienna, 170 p. (2013).
V.P. Rublevskiy. Commercial nuclear reactors and 14C. Atomic Energy, 113, 143–147 (2012).
IAEA IMMONET SharePoint Site. {rf http://nucleus.iaea.org/sites/nefw-projects/IMMONET/SitePages/Home.aspx url } (2013).
IAEA Irradiated Graphite Treatment CRP Site. {rf http://nucleus.iaea.org/sites/nefw-projects/IMMONET/graphite-crp/SitePages/Home.aspx url } (2013).
B. Poncet, L. Petit. Method to assess the radionuclide inventory of irradiated graphite waste from gas-cooled reactors. J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., 296, 3, 15 p., DOI: 10.1007/s10967-013-2519-6 (2013).
J.-J. Guiroy, Graphite Waste Incineration in a Fluidised Bed, in Ref [1] above, 193–203 (1996).
O. Karlina, M. Ojovan, G. Pavlova, V. Klimov. Thermodynamic modelling and experimental tests of irradiated graphite molten salt decontamination. Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 1518, 6 p., DOI: {rf http://dx.doi.org/10.1557/opl.2013.72 url } (2013).
Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire, Ministère de l’Écologie du Développement durable et de l’Énergie, Plan Nacional de Gestion des Matières et des Déchets Radioactifs 2013–2015, Paris, April 2013.
Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the efforts of all the CRP researchers (Table I) who contributed to the success of the program. AJW acknowledges financial support from the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ojovan, M.I., Wickham, A.J. Treatment of Irradiated Graphite to Meet Acceptance Criteria for Waste Disposal: Problem and Solutions. MRS Online Proceedings Library 1665, 3–12 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1557/opl.2014.622
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/opl.2014.622