Method and product for the disposal of radioactive wastes

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR DISPOSAL OF HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE MATERIALS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF MIXING A CLAY AND HIGHLEVEL RADIOATIVE WASTE MATERIALS TO DISPERSE SAID WASTE MATERIALS IN SAID CLAY AND TO FORM A MIXTURE OF SAID CLAY AND SAID WASTE MATERIALS, SUBJECTING SAID MIXTURE TO PRESSURE SUFFICIENT TO REMOVE SUBSTANTIALLY ALL ENTRAPPED AIR FROM SAID MIXTURE, FORMING A WASTE-CONTAINING FIRED CERAMIC BODY BY HEATING SAID MIXTURE TO A TEMPERATURE LESS THAN THE MATURITY TEMPERATURE OF SAID CLAY BUT SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO OBTAIN IN SAID CLAY A WATER ABSORPTION VALUE DEFINED BY BEING LESS THAN THAT AT WHICH MOISTURE IS NOT WITHDRAWN BY SAID CLAY FROM A CERAMIC GLAZE TO BE APPLIED TO SAID MIXTURE IN AN AMOUNT WHEREAT CRACKS FORM IN SAID GLAZE UPON DRYING SUBSTANTIALLY AT ROOM TEMPERATURE AND BEING GREATER THAN THAT AT WHICH SAID GLAZE CRACKS DURING FIRING OF SAID GLAZE AND SAID BODY TO MATURING TEMPERATURE OF SAID GLAZE, CARRYING OUT SAID HEATING AT A RATE BELOW THAT AT WHICH SAID MIXTURE BLOATS, APPLYING A CERAMIC GLAZE COATING TO SAID FIRED CERAMIC BODY TO COMPLETELY SURROUND AND ENCAPSULATE SAME, FIRING SAID GLAZE-COATED BODY TO A MATURING TEMPERATURE OF SAID CERAMIC GLAZE FOR FUSING SAID GLAZE UPON SAID CERAMIC BODY AND FOR MAKING SAID GLAZE COATING IMPERVIOUS, SAID CERAMIC GLAZE HAVING A THERMAL COEFFICIENT OF EXPANSION COMPATIBLE WITH THAT OF SAID BODY AND SUCH THAT DURING COOLING FROM SAID MATURING TEMPERATURE SAID GLAZE IS NOT UNDER TENSILE STRESS GREATER THAN THE TENSILE STRENGTH OF THE GLAZE ITSELF AND IS NOT UNDER COMPRESSIVE STRESS GREATER THAN THE COMPRESSION STRENGTH OF THE GLAZE ITSELF, SAID GLAZE HAVING A MATURITY TEMPERATURE RANGE COMPATIBLE WITH THAT OF SAID CLAY AND SUCH THAT THE TEMPERATURE RANGE TO MATURE SAID GLAZE IS SUBSTANTIALLY THAT REQUIRED TO MATURE SAID BODY, SAID GLAZE HAVING A CHEMICAL COMPOSITION RESISTANT TO AQUEOUS LEACHING.