Patent ID: 7294291

Claim:
A method of stabilizing nuclear material including one or more members selected from the group consisting of: (a) the oxides or halides of actinides and/or transuranics (TRUs), (b) hydrocarbons contaminated with actinides and/or TRUs and (c) acids contaminated with actinide and/or TRUs wherein fluorides and/or hydrocarbons are present in the nuclear material, comprising treating the nuclear material by adjusting the pH of the nuclear material or any portion thereof to be not less than about 5 if required and adding sufficient MgO to convert fluorides present to MgF 2 and adding γ alumina in an amount sufficient to absorb substantially all hydrocarbon liquid present, adding a binder including MgO and KH 2 PO 4 to the treated nuclear material to form a slurry, wherein the binder is present in an amount not less than about 20% by weight of the combination of nuclear material and binder, the MgO in the binder being present not less than 15% by weight of the combination nuclear material and binder, adding MgO in addition to the stoichiometric quantity necessary to react with the KH 2 PO 4 in an amount up to about 45% by weight of the combined nuclear material and the binder depending on the make up of the nuclear material and the rate of reaction for the MgKPO 4 formed by reaction.