Patent Number: 047028629
Section: summary

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to a method for the final conditioning of radioactive and/or toxic waste by fusing it into thermoplastic matrix material, thereby enclosing radioactive and/or toxic pollutants contained in the waste. 2. Description of the Prior Art Such a method is already in use. There, weakly or medium-active waste, for instance, radioactive ion exchangers, radioactive calcinates, radioactive tributyl phosphate etc. is fused into thermoplastic matrix material, which may be non-radioactive polyvinylchloride or polyethylene. This non-radioactive polyvinylchloride or polyethylene is obtained in the form of granulate and is mixed with the radioactive waste. The waste is fused by passing the mixture through a heated extruder, at the exit end of which the polyvinylchloride or polyethylene leaves in flowable form and is cast into compact plastic blocks suitable for final storage. For economic reasons the volume of the radioactive waste to be stored is required to be kept as small as possible. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the invention is to improve the known method further in the direction of minimizing the volume of radioactive waste to be stored. With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided in accordance with the invention a method for the final conditioning of radioactive and/or toxic waste by fusing it into thermoplastic matrix material, binding radioactive and/or toxic pollutants contained in the waste from all sides, the improvement comprising using radioactive thermoplastic synthetic material as the thermoplastic matrix material. Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims. Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a method for the final conditioning of radioactive and/or toxic waste, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. The invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description.