PLASMA-ARC PYROLYSIS OF WASTE RADIOACTIVE ION-EXCHANGE RESINS

Two ion exchange resigns (IRN 77 and 78), used for the recovery of rad ioactive elements, were pyrolysed in a plasma-arc furnace. Both contin uous and batch tests were performed. Volume reduction ratios of 10 to 1 and 10 to 3.5 were achieved for IRN 78 and IRN 77 respectively. The resins were doped with cobalt as a tracer to simulate the behaviour of the radioactive elements. The product of the resin pyrolysis was a ch ar which contained almost 100% of the cobalt. The off-gas was analyzed and found to consist of mainly hydrogen and carbon dioxide with a rel atively small amount of hydrogen sulphide, carbon monoxide and dust.