Book Description

Presently, there are 250,000 metric tons of irradiated graphite waste worldwide and with the development of the High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor this volume is expected to drastically increase indicating the need for a graphite waste management strategy. The most probable management strategy is long-term storage in a deep geological repository; however, the disposal of large irradiated graphite components is unnecessary and uneconomical. Previous characterization of irradiated graphite has indicated the most significant long-term isotope of concern is carbon-14. Most radionuclides can be removed using established purification methods; however, the carbon-14 in irradiated graphite is chemically indistinguishable from carbon-12. Thus purification methods are not applicable. Fachinger et al. (2006) have demonstrated removal of carbon-14 from irradiated graphite using pyrolysis and oxidation. This thesis presents the further refinement of thermal treatment method in order to offer an optimal graphite waste management solution.