Method for processing radioactive waste resin

Claim 1

A method of processing radioactive waste resin by pyrolyzing radioactive waste ion exchange resin generated in a nuclear plant in a reaction vessel, comprising pyrolyzing said ion exchange resin without the presence of oxygen at low temperatures between 120° C. and 350° C. in the same reaction vessel, separating the resulting decomposition gas, then pyrolyzing said ion exchange resin in the presence of oxygen at high temperatures between 350° C. and 600° C. in the same reaction vessel, separating the resulting decomposition gas, and thereafter hot-pressing the residue of said ion exchange resin into a molded article in the same reaction vessel.

Claim 2

A method of processing radioactive waste resin by pyrolyzing radioactive waste ion exchange resin generated in a nuclear plant in a reaction vessel, comprising pyrolyzing said ion exchange resin without the presence of oxygen at low temperatures between 120° C. and 350° C. in the same reaction vessel, separating the resulting decomposition gas, then pyrolyzing said ion exchange resin in the presence of oxygen at high temperatures between 350° C. and 600° C. in the same reaction vessel, separating the resulting decomposition gas, and thereafter hot-pressing the residue of said ion exchange resin into a molded article in the same reaction vessel.

Claim 11

A method of processing radioactive ion exchange resins into stable and safely storable forms comprising the steps of: a. introducing a quantity of radioactive ion exchange resin into a sealed reaction vessel; b. heating the radioactive ion exchange resin in the sealed reaction vessel without the presence of oxygen to a temperature sufficient to remove the ion exchange group from the radioactive ion exchange resin but insufficient to decompose the polymer backbone of the radioactive ion exchange resin and insufficient to initiate the spattering of the radioactive material; c. removing the gases produced by the heating of the radioactive ion exchange resin from the reaction vessel and introducing said gases to an exhaust gas processing apparatus; d. inserting an oxygen-containing gas into the reaction vessel at a velocity insufficient to initiate the spattering of the radioactive material; e. heating the remaining radioactive resin and the oxygen-containing gas in the reaction vessel to a temperature sufficient to decompose the polymer backbone of the remaining radioactive resin; f. removing the gases produced by the heating of the radioactive resin and the oxygen containing gas from the reaction vessel; g. hot-pressing the remaining radioactive residue while within the reaction vessel into a molded article at a temperature substantially similar to that of the heating of the radioactive resin; and, h. removing the molded article containing the radioactive residue from the reaction vessel.

Claim 12

A method of processing radioactive ion exchange resins into stable and safely storable forms comprising the steps of: a. introducing a quantity of radioactive ion exchange resin into a sealed reaction vessel; b. heating the radioactive ion exchange resin in the sealed reaction vessel without the presence of oxygen to a temperature sufficient to remove the ion exchange group from the radioactive ion exchange resin but insufficient to decompose the polymer backbone of the radioactive ion exchange resin and insufficient to initiate the spattering of the radioactive material; c. removing the gases produced by the heating of the radioactive ion exchange resin from the reaction vessel and introducing said gases to an exhaust gas processing apparatus; d. inserting an oxygen-containing gas into the reaction vessel at a velocity insufficient to initiate the spattering of the radioactive material; e. heating the remaining radioactive resin and the oxygen-containing gas in the reaction vessel to a temperature sufficient to decompose the polymer backbone of the remaining radioactive resin; f. removing the gases produced by the heating of the radioactive resin and the oxygen containing gas from the reaction vessel; g. hot-pressing the remaining radioactive residue while within the reaction vessel into a molded article at a temperature substantially similar to that of the heating of the radioactive resin; and, h. removing the molded article containing the radioactive residue from the reaction vessel.

Claim 15

A method of processing radioactive ion exchange resin as defined in claims 10, wherein the inserting of an oxygen-containing gas into the reaction vessel is at a velocity of 1.5 cm/s or below.