Aluminum phosphate ceramics for waste storage
AssigneeCH2M Hill, Inc.
InventorsArun Wagh, Martin D. Maloney
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Abstract
The present disclosure describes solid waste forms and methods of processing waste. In one particular implementation, the invention provides a method of processing waste that may be particularly suitable for processing hazardous waste. In this method, a waste component is combined with an aluminum oxide and an acidic phosphate component in a slurry. A molar ratio of aluminum to phosphorus in the slurry is greater than one. Water in the slurry may be evaporated while mixing the slurry at a temperature of about 140-200° C. The mixed slurry may be allowed to cure into a solid waste form. This solid waste form includes an anhydrous aluminum phosphate with at least a residual portion of the waste component bound therein.
Claims25
A method of processing waste, comprising:
- combining a waste component with an aluminum oxide and an acidic phosphate component in a waste slurry comprising water, wherein the waste component comprises hazardous waste and a molar ratio of aluminum oxide to metal phosphate in the slurry is greater than one and wherein the acidic phosphate component is a phosphate of a monovalent metal;
- evaporating water in the slurry while mixing the slurry at a functional temperature of about 140-200° C.;
- and
- allowing the mixed slurry to cure into a solid waste form comprising an anhydrous compound of aluminum oxide and metal phosphate with a residual portion of the waste component bound therein,
- wherein:
- combining the waste component, the aluminum oxide, and the acidic phosphate component in the waste slurry comprises:
- reacting at least a portion of the aluminum oxide with the acidic phosphate component in a phosphate precursor slurry;
- at least partially drying the phosphate precursor slurry to form a phosphate precursor comprising a paste or a powder;
- and
- after at least partially drying the phosphate precursor slurry, mixing the phosphate precursor with the waste component in the waste slurry, the waste slurry having more water than the phosphate precursor prior to the evaporation of the water in the waste slurry.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.