Process for nuclear waste disposal
AssigneeVortec Corporation
InventorAkshay Mathur
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a process for nuclear waste disposal. In it, a glass forming mixture including an aqueous solution of one or more metal alkoxides, alcohol, and solubilized, low level radioactive waste having a pH effective to hydrolyze the one or more metal alkoxides is formed. The one or more metal alkoxides in the glass forming mixture are converted to a network of corresponding one or more metal oxides. A gel is then formed from the glass forming mixture containing the network of one or more metal oxides. The gel is dried and sintered under conditions effective to form a densified glass.
Claims24
A process for nuclear waste disposal comprising:
- providing a glass forming mixture comprising an aqueous solution of one or more metal alkoxides, alcohol, and 35 wt % up to 85 wt % of solubilized, low level radioactive waste in a true solution and having a pH effective to hydrolyze the one or more metal alkoxides;
- converting the one or more metal alkoxides in the glass forming mixture to a network of corresponding one or more metal oxides;
- forming a gel from the glass forming mixture containing the network of one or more metal oxides;
- drying the gel;
- and
- sintering the dried gel under conditions effective to form a densified glass.
A process for nuclear waste disposal comprising:
- reducing the pH of low level radioactive waste to a value of less than 1 to fully solubilize the waste having a reduced pH is an aqueous solution of one or more metal alkoxides and alcohol to form a glass forming mixture;
- and
- forming a glass from the glass forming mixture using a sol-gel procedure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.