Inclusion of liquid radioactive waste into a cement compound with an additive of multilayer carbon nanotubes

Abstract

Long-term and safe management of radioactive wastes resulting from implementation of nuclear weapon programs still remains the key problem of nuclear energetics. The technology based on admixture of liquid radioactive wastes in inorganic hydraulic binders (cementation process) has a number of cogent advantages: the process is of low temperature, it proceeds without formation of gaseous radioactive wastes and the obtained cement compound ensures safe storage for a long time (more than 106 years). A possibility of applying reinforcing fillers to increase the level of filling of the cement compound with liquid radioactive wastes was investigated. These fillers are multilayered carbon nanotubes (MCNT) and pyrogenic silica (aerosil). It has been found that the proportion of MCNT should not exceed 1.5 % by weight of the cement content and the aerosil proportion should not exceed 0.5 % of the binder weight. The expediency of using the effects of cavitation technology in preparation of cement compounds is shown.