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https://www.ias.ac.in/article/fulltext/boms/026/07/0699-0701

Cement; radioactive waste; composite; waste management.

The leaching rate of ⁶⁰Co and ¹³⁷Cs from the spent cation exchange resins in cement–bentonite matrix has been studied. The solidification matrix was a standard Portland cement mixed with 290–350 (kg/m³) spent cation exchange resins, with or without 2–5% of bentonite clay. The leaching rates from the cement–bentonite matrix for ⁶⁰Co: (4,2–7,0) × 10^-5 (cm/d) and ¹³⁷Cs: (3,2–6,6) × 10^-4 (cm/d), after 125 days were measured. From the leaching data the apparent diffusivity of cobalt and cesium in cement–bentonite clay matrix with a waste load of 290–350 (kg/m³) spent cation exchange resins, was measured for ⁶⁰Co: (1,1–4,0) × 10^-6 (cm²/d) and ¹³⁷Cs: (0,5–2,6) × 10^-4 (cm²/d), after 125 days. The results presented in this paper are part of the results obtained in a 20-year mortar and concrete testing project which will influence the design of radioactive waste management for a future Serbian radioactive waste disposal centre.

I B Plecas¹ R S Pavlovic¹ S D Pavlovic¹

1. VINCA Institute of Nuclear Sciences, P.O. Box 522, 11001 Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

Published

December 2003

Manuscript received

22 August 2003

Manuscript revised

7 October 2003