A silver-doped, nano-porous hydroxyapatite material is provided that can be utilized to capture radioactive iodine, .sup.129I. Methods of using the silver-doped, nano-porous hydroxyapatite material to remove radioactive iodine, and methods of manufacturing the material are also provided.

The present invention relates to a method for treating waste material comprising organic components and low and/or medium level radioactive agents. The method comprises encapsulating the waste material into a matrix, gasifying the waste material at a temperature between 600 and 950° C. to form a gaseous fraction and a solid fraction comprising low and/or medium level radioactive agents and combustion residues of the organic components and encapsulating the solid fraction by a geopolymer matrix comprising metakaolin.

Radioactive material adsorbing clay material effectively and efficiently removes radioactive material, namely radium, from aqueous fluids, thereby purifying the same. Methods of synthesizing and using the same are further provided.

A canister for interim storage and subsequent consolidation of waste materials via hot pressing and comprising at least one ion exchange material. The canister is configured to house the ion exchange material after it is exchanged with a contaminating ion without releasing the contaminating ion and to consolidate waste materials via hot-isostatic pressing. A method comprising contacting a fluid waste with an ion exchange material.

A receptor for the simultaneous removal of oxoanions and their counterions from aqueous phase, particularly containing radioactive wastes, containing amide groups specifically coordinating the oxoanions, as well as moieties specifically coordinating cations, according to the present invention is characterised in that it contains within one molecule domains binding oxoanions and domains binding cations, preferably adapting a molecular structure of a general formula: (I) wherein Z this is a group containing crown ether, preferably a benzocrown group, X is any substituent, including the Y-Z grouping, and Y is any substituent or 0 (i.e. a direct bond between N and Z), where the oxoanion binding domain is a squaramide unit coordinating the oxoanions through amide groups, and squaramide contains additional substituents that increase or decrease the acidity of its amide protons, compared to unsubstituted squaramide, whereas the counter ion binding domain is a crown ether of a size adjusted to the type of binding cation, which forms part of at least one of the aforementioned substituents of squaramide, where the receptor has the ability to remove oxoanions and their counterions from aqueous phase to another water-immiscible phase, preferably to organic phase, and has the ability to form soluble complexes in at least one of the aforementioned phases. The invention considers also a method of removing oxoanions in the form of inorganic salts from aqueous phase, using receptors of the invention in the form of organic molecules containing amide groups, according to the invention is characterised in that it uses the aforementioned receptors for simultaneous binding of oxoanions and their counterions in aqueous phase, preferably acidic when using the receptor with substituents increasing acidity of squaramide protons, or alkaline when using the receptor with substituents decreasing acidity of squaramide protons. A sensor for detecting oxoanions according to the invention is characterised in that it uses the aforementioned receptors, dissolved or suspended in an organic solvent or in a mixture of organic solvents, forming coloured complexes in contact with the phase containing given oxoanions. The preparation for removing oxoanions from aqueous solutions, particularly containing radioactive waste at the stage preceding their disposal by vitrification, is characterised in that it contains the receptor according to the invention, dissolved or suspended in the water-immiscible phase, and the appropriate amount of counterion facilitating extraction. A process of utilisation of aqueous solutions by vitrification, particularly solutions containing radioactive waste, is characte

A container for storage of molten material from an industrial facility, and method of manufacture thereof, is provided to maximize internal volume of the container while providing structural stability. The container includes walls having rounded convex-shaped edges at each wall junction. A first head is connected to the walls at a first end of the container, and a second head closes the second end of the container. The second head is connected to the walls at a second end of the container. Corners are defined at the intersection of the walls with the first head and second head at the first end and the second end respectively. A first flange is connected to the first head to receive molten material, and the first head is shaped as a tapered shoulder to smoothly transition from the first flange to the junction of the walls.

A method for treating a fluid waste, comprising adding one or more process additives to the fluid waste in an amount sufficient to change the wasteform chemistry is disclosed. The addition step may be chosen from adding a dispersant or a deflocculant an additive to decrease the reactive metal components, to bind fission products and decrease volatilization of toxic or radioactive elements or species during thermal treatment, or to target and react with the fine particle size component of the waste to decrease dusting and immobilize components in a durable phase. After mixing the fluid waste with the described additives the waste is eventually hot-isostatic pressing, to form a durable and stable waste form.

A container for storage of molten material from an industrial facility, and method of manufacture thereof, is provided to maximize internal volume of the container while providing structural stability. The container includes walls having rounded convex-shaped edges at each wall junction. A first head is connected to the walls at a first end of the container, and a second head closes the second end of the container. The second head is connected to the walls at a second end of the container. Corners are defined at the intersection of the walls with the first head and second head at the first end and the second end respectively. A first flange is connected to the first head to receive molten material, and the first head is shaped as a tapered shoulder to smoothly transition from the first flange to the junction of the walls.

Provided are a silicotitanate molded body having high strength and reduced generation of fine powder, a production method thereof, an adsorbent comprising the silicotitanate molded body, and a decontamination method of radioactive cesium and/or radioactive strontium by using the adsorbent. The silicotitanate molded body comprises: crystalline silicotitanate particles that have a particle size distribution in which 90% or more, on volume basis, of the particles have a particle size within a range of 1 μm or more and 10 μm or less and that are represented by a general formula of A.sub.2Ti.sub.2O.sub.3(SiO.sub.4).nH.sub.2O wherein A represents one or two alkali metal elements selected from Na and K, and n represents a number of 0 to 2; and an oxide of one or more elements selected from the group consisting of aluminum, zirconium, iron, and cerium.

The present invention is about a process for the treatment of radioactive liquid sewage, deriving from nuclear plants or hospital waste containing various metals, non-metals and organic compounds, in order to transform this sewage into a vitreous body safely retaining the nuclear elements or isotopes in a silica matrix; the invention also regards an apparatus for implementing the process in an automated way.