Claims
- 1. A process for treating a material that contains leachable radioactive substances, said process comprising the steps of:
contacting said material with a suspension comprising a first component and a second component to form a mixture, wherein said first component supplies at least one member from the group consisting of sulphates, hydroxides, chlorides, fluorides, magnesium, halides, halites, silicates and calcium oxide, and wherein said second component supplies at least one phosphate anion; and curing said mixture for a period of time to form a cured material; wherein the concentration of leachable radioactive substances in said material so treated is decreased and non-leachable solid materials are formed.
- 2. The process of treating a material that contains leachable radioactive substances according to claim 1, wherein said first component or said second component is a liquid.
- 3. The process of treating a material that contains leachable radioactive substances according to claim 1, wherein said first component is a magnesium aluminum silicate.
- 4. The process of treating a material that contains leachable radioactive substances according to claim 1, wherein said second component is an aqueous phosphate reagent.
- 5. The process of treating a material that contains leachable radioactive substances according to claim l, wherein said second component is phosphoric acid.
- 6. The process of treating a material that contains leachable radioactive substances according to claim 1, wherein said second component is monocalcium phosphate.
- 7. The process of treating a material that contains leachable radioactive substances according to claim 1, wherein said second component is tetrasodium pyrophosphate.
- 8. The process of treating a material that contains leachable radioactive substances according to claim 1, further comprising a third component, wherein said suspension further comprises a third component which supplies at least one phosphate anion.
- 9. The process of treating a material that contains leachable radioactive substances according to claim 1, wherein said suspension further comprises a third component selected from to the group consisting of phosphoric acid, pyrophosphates, triple super phosphate, trisodium phosphate, potassium phosphates, ammonium phosphates, monocalcium phosphate and tetrasodium pyrophosphate.
- 10. The process of treating a material that contains leachable radioactive substances according to claim 1, wherein said suspension comprises monocalcium phosphate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate and a magnesium aluminum silicate.
- 11. The process of treating a material that contains leachable radioactive substances according to claim 1, wherein said metal-bearing material is a sludge.
- 12. A process for treating soil that contains leachable radioactive substances, said process comprising the steps of:
contacting a soil containing radioactive substances with a suspension comprising a first component and a second component to form a mixture, wherein said metal-bearing soil contains at least one leachable metal selected from the group consisting of lead, aluminum, arsenic (III), barium, bismuth, cadmium, chromium (RI), copper, iron, nickel, selenium, silver and zinc, wherein said first component supplies at least one member from the group consisting of sulphates, hydroxides, chlorides, fluorides, magnesium, halites, halides, silicates and calcium oxide, and wherein said second component supplies at least one phosphate anion; and curing said mixture for a period of time to form a cured material; wherein the concentration of leachable radioactive substances in said soil so treated is decreased and non-leachable solid materials are formed.
- 13. The process of treating soil according to claim 12, wherein said first component or said second component is a liquid.
- 14. The process of treating soil according to claim 12, wherein said first component is a magnesium aluminum silicate.
- 15. The process of treating soil according to claim 12, wherein said second component is an aqueous phosphate reagent.
- 16. The process of treating soil according to claim 12, wherein said second component is phosphoric acid.
- 17. The process of treating said metal-bearing soil of claim 12, wherein said second component is monocalcium phosphate.
- 18. The process of treating soil according to claim 12, wherein said second component is tetrasodium pyrophosphate.
- 19. The process of treating soil according to claim 12, wherein said suspension further comprises a third component which supplies at least one phosphate anion.
- 20. The process of treating soil according to claim 12, wherein said suspension further comprises a third component selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid, topyrophosphates, triple super phosphate, trisodium phosphate, potassium phosphates, ammonium phosphates, monocalcium phosphate and tetrasodium pyrophosphate.
- 21. The process of treating soil according to claim 12, wherein said suspension comprises monocalcium phosphate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate and a magnesium aluminum silicate.
- 22. A process for treating a waste matrix of metal-bearing material and soil that contains leachable radioactive substances, said process comprising the steps of:
contacting said waste matrix with a suspension comprising a first component and a second component to form a mixture, wherein said metal-bearing material contains at least one leachable metal selected from the group consisting of lead, aluminum, arsenic (III), barium, bismuth, cadmium, chromium (III), copper, iron, nickel, selenium, silver and zinc, wherein said first component supplies at least one member from the group consisting of sulphates, hydroxides, chlorides, fluorides, magnesium, halites, halides, silicates and calcium oxide, and wherein said second component supplies at least one phosphate anion; and curing said mixture for a period of time to form a cured material; wherein the concentration of leachable radioactive substances in said material so treated is decreased and non-leachable solid materials are formed.
- 23. The process of treating a waste matrix according to claim 22, wherein said first component or said second component is a liquid.
- 24. The process of treating a waste matrix according to claim 22, wherein said first component is a magnesium aluminum silicate.
- 25. The process of treating a waste matrix according to claim 22, wherein said second component is an aqueous phosphate reagent.
- 26. The process of treating a waste matrix according to claim 22, wherein said second component is phosphoric acid.
- 27. The process of treating a waste matrix according to claim 22, wherein said second component is monocalcium phosphate.
- 28. The process of treating a waste matrix according to claim 22, wherein said second component is tetrasodium pyrophosphate.
- 29. The process of treating a waste matrix according to claim 22, wherein said suspension further comprises a third component which supplies at least one phosphate anion.
- 30. The process of treating a waste matrix according to claim 22, wherein said suspension further comprises a third component selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid, pyrophosphates, triple super phosphate, trisodium phosphate, potassium phosphates, ammonium phosphates, monocalcium phosphate and tetrasodium pyrophosphate.
- 31. The process of treating a waste matrix according to claim 22, wherein said suspension comprises monocalcium phosphate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate and a magnesium aluminum silicate.
- 32. A process for treating a liquid containing radioactive substances, said process comprising the steps of
contacting said liquid with a suspension comprising a first component and a second component to form a mixture, wherein said metal-bearing material contains at least one leachable metal selected from the group consisting of lead, aluminum, arsenic (Il), barium, bismuth, cadmium, chromium (III), copper, iron, nickel, selenium, silver and zinc, wherein said first component supplies at least one member from the group consisting of sulphates, hydroxides, chlorides, fluorides, magnesium, halites, halides, silicates and calcium oxide, and wherein said second component supplies at least one phosphate anion; and curing said mixture for a period of time to form a cured material; wherein substantially insoluble mineral species precipitate from said mixture at the end of the curing and the concentration of leachable radioactive substances in said liquid so treated is decreased.
- 33. The process of treating a liquid containing radioactive substances according to claim 33, wherein said first component or said second component is a liquid.
- 34. The process of treating a liquid containing radioactive substances according to claim 33, wherein said first component is a magnesium aluminum silicate.
- 35. The process of treating a liquid containing radioactive substances according to claim 33, wherein said second component is an aqueous phosphate reagent.
- 36. The process of treating a liquid containing radioactive substances according to claim 33, wherein said second component is phosphoric acid.
- 37. The process of treating a liquid containing radioactive substances according to claim 33, wherein said second component is monocalcium phosphate.
- 38. The process of treating a liquid containing radioactive substances according to claim 33, wherein said second component is tetrasodium pyrophosphate.
- 39. The process of treating a liquid containing radioactive substances according to claim 33, wherein said suspension further comprises a third component which supplies at least one phosphate anion.
- 40. The process of treating a liquid containing radioactive substances according to claim 33, wherein said suspension further comprises a third component selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid, pyrophosphates, triple super phosphate, trisodium phosphate, potassium phosphates, ammonium phosphates, monocalcium phosphate and tetrasodium pyrophosphate.
- 41. The process of treating a liquid containing radioactive substances according to claim 33, wherein said suspension comprises monocalcium phosphate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate and a magnesium aluminum silicate.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/426,364, filed on Oct. 25, 1999, which is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/953,568, filed on Oct. 17, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,944,608, which is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/663,692, filed Jun. 14, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,367, which is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/031,461, filed on Mar. 15, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,982, which is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/721,935, filed Jul. 23, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,936, Reexamination Certificate issued Mar. 19, 1996, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/494,774, filed Mar. 16, 1990, now abandoned.
Continuations (3)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08953568 |
Oct 1997 |
US |
Child |
09426364 |
Oct 1999 |
US |
Parent |
09340898 |
Jun 1999 |
US |
Child |
09426364 |
Oct 1999 |
US |
Parent |
08663692 |
Jun 1996 |
US |
Child |
08942803 |
Oct 1997 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (5)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09426364 |
Oct 1999 |
US |
Child |
09902533 |
Jul 2001 |
US |
Parent |
08942803 |
Oct 1997 |
US |
Child |
09340898 |
Jun 1999 |
US |
Parent |
08031461 |
Mar 1993 |
US |
Child |
08663692 |
Jun 1996 |
US |
Parent |
07721935 |
Jul 1991 |
US |
Child |
08031461 |
Mar 1993 |
US |
Parent |
07494774 |
Mar 1990 |
US |
Child |
07721935 |
Jul 1991 |
US |