METHOD FOR IMMOBILIZING FRACTIONS OF HIGH ACTIVITY WASTES OF TRANSPLUTONIUM AND RARE-EARTH ELEMENTS (ALTERNATIVES) Russian patent published in 2003 - IPC

FIELD: recovery of radioactive wastes involving immobilization of transplutonium and rare-earth elements. SUBSTANCE: method for immobilizing calcinate of transplutonium and rare-earth element fractions in stable mineral-like matrices of high thermal conductivity incorporating heat-conducting metal phase distributed within their volume includes preparation of source charge from calcined high-activity wastes, structure- forming admixture, energy-carrying and oxidizing elements. Charge obtained is compacted and subjected to heat treatment under conditions of self-spreading high-temperature metal-heat fusion including compaction of hot fusion product. Structure-forming admixtures introduced in charge are oxides of CaO, ZrO₂ series and oxides of rare-earth elements; metals of Ti, Zr, Nb, Al series are introduced as energy-carrying elements, and oxides of Fe (III)m Mo(IV), and Cu (II) series, as oxidant. Calcinate of transplutonium and rare-earth elements is introduced in source charge in the form of mixture doped with thinner in the form of energy-carrying oxides. EFFECT: enhanced reliability of waste immobilization in mineral-like matrices. 11 cl, 1 dwg, 2 tbl