Nuclear industry has taken care very early of the future of its waste. This has resulted in proven processes, such as intermediate-level waste cementation, and minor-actinide and fission-products solutions vitrification. Waste conditioning is but one step in the waste management process from waste generation to the final site. Yet, this is a key step, undoubtedly, for how waste is conditioned strongly depends upon what is planned for the waste ulterior fate. Similarly, how much reliable the waste package behaviour can be in the long term is a basic factor in waste storage and disposal. France’s leading role in waste conditioning is a major asset likely to be used not only in the international, industrial context, but also for better social acceptability, as it shows the public that technical solutions do exist to address this concern !
This monograph gives an overview of the state of knowledge in nuclear waste conditioning, and describes research work under way, highlighting the related challenges and the CEA’s recent advances
Summary
- Introduction
- Decontamination and treatment processes for efluent and technological waste
- Glass: a waste conditioning matrix for the long term
- Current conditioning systems for low and intermediate level waste
- Researching alternative matrices and processes for waste treatment and conditioning
- Spent fuel: a possible confining matrix?
- Conclusion