Patent Number: 048062790
Section: claims

1. A method of producing impregnated synthetic rock precursor comprising: feeding particulate synthetic rock precursor into a vibratory conveying means having an elongated path along which the particulate material is progressively moved under vibration,  spraying the particulate material with a liquid comprising radioactive waste over an extended region of the elongated path such that the liquid is absorbed into the particulate material which continues to advance to the discharge end of the device,  applying heat over an extended region of said elongated path for maintaining the synthetic rock precursor in a substantially dry state and causing evaporation of water contained in said liquid, and discharging the impregnated synthetic rock precursor. 2. A method as claimed in claim 1 characterised by the continuous vibratory conveying means having an elongated path extending from spaced upstream and downstream ends. 3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 characterised by a temperature of the order of 300.degree. C. being established in the synthetic rock precursor passing along said elongated path. 4. A method as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the conveying means used has a generally trough-like form and has a vibrating element connected thereto near its upstream end, the downstream end of the vibratory conveyor being mounted and supported in flexible mountings and remaining substantially stationary. 5. A method as claimed in claim 5, characterised by the conveyor means using a multiplicity of spray heads spaced along and above said elongated path for spraying said liquid. 6. A method as claimed in claim 5 and characterised by including taking synthetic rock precursor in powder form and forming the precursor into a granu1ated form and supplying the granulated form of the precursor to be fed into said vibratory conveying means. 7. A method as claimed in claim 6, further characterised by advancing said impregnated synthetic rock precursor in flowable particulate form into an elongated downwardly inclined tubular duct, establishing vibration of the tubular duct and applying high level heating so as to calcine the synthetic rock precursor during its passage along said duct, and disoharging the calcined synthetic rock precursor at the downstream end of the duct. 8. A method as claimed in claim 7 and characterised in that said applied high level heating establishes a temperature of the order of 750.degree. C. in the synthetic rock precursor passing down the duct. 9. A method as claimed in claim 7 and characterised in that said step of establishing vibration of the tubular duct is effected by a vibrator unit connected to the downstream region of the tubular duct, the upstream end of the tubular duct being mounted in flexible mountings and the method further comprising adjusting the frequency of vibrations to control the flow rate of the synthetic rock precursor. 10. A method as claimed in claim 9 and characterised by using a gas circulation system through said tubular duct and controlling the atmosphere within the tubular duct, gas extracted from the tubular duct being filtered to remove volatile radioactive components taken up from the radioactive waste content of the synthetic rock precusor. 11. A method as claimed in claim 10 and characterised by mixing titanium powder into the discharged calcined synthetic rock precursor by using a vibratory conveyor which is downwardly inclined in the downstream direction, the titanium powder being mixed into the synthetic rock precursor near the upstream end of said vibratory conveyor. 12. A method of producing canisters containing compacted, impregnated synthetic rock precursor, the precursor being impregnated with radioactive waste and the canisters being adapted to be treated in a hot pressing operation whereby the radioactive waste is immobilised in a matrix of synthetic rock in the canisters, the method characterised by processing synthetic rock precursor by a method as claimed in claim 11 and further comprising pouring the synthetic rock precursor into a canister having a generally cylindrical form with a bellows like cylindrical wall and flat end walls, closing the canister after pouring the synthetic rock precursor into the canister and effecting a cold precompaction by uniaxial pressing along the axis of the canister. 13. A method as claimed in claim 12 and characterised in that the cold precompaction of each bellows canister is effected using an apparatus comprising a hydraulic press having an upwardly acting ram with a refractory facing thereon for supporting the bottom of the canister, a fixed top abutment, a heating zone immediately below the abutment and adapted to surround the bellows container during the hot uniaxial pressing process and a retractable platen adapted to be inserted laterally into the press below the heating zone such that a bellows canister can be placed on the refractory facing and partially compressed at ambient temperature by upward displacement of the hydraulic press, the platen being removable to permit the press to be displaced upwardly to a higher level whereby the bellows-like canister is inserted within the heating zone and abuts against the top abutment. 14. A method as claimed in claim 8 and characterized in that said step of establishing vibration of the tubular duct is effected by a vibrator unit connected to the downstream region of the tubular duct, the upstream end of the tubular duct being mounted in flexible mountings and the method further comprising adjusting the frequency of vibrations to control the flow rate of the synthetic rock precursor.