Large-scale hot-isostatic pressing of waste forms for the treatment of Magnox sludge and other wastes

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The thermal treatment of radioactive wastes offers the opportunity to significantly reduce the waste volume and realise life-cycle cost savings. In this project GeoRoc Limited aims to demonstrate the use of Hot-isostatic pressing (HIPing) to treat Magnox Fuel Pond Sludges. Hot-isostatic pressing involves the use of heat and pressure to make dense materials. HIPing is a mature advanced materials production method. However, design innovation is required to adapt it to routine use in the treatment of radioactive wastes. By selecting tailored additives, high waste loading ceramics and glass-ceramics that are geologically stable and lock-up the nuclear waste, can be produced via HIPing. The environmental benefits are not limited to transforming existing and future wastes into stable forms and because it is a sealed process it eliminates the potential for any release of radioactive or chemotoxic waste , additionally the reduced volume also less repository space is required and in the long term less repositories will be required, reducing CO2 emissions plus the savings could be utilised for other Government initiatives.