Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-gb8f7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T15:05:57.120Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Potential Use of Ambient-Cured Geopolymers for Intermediate Level Nuclear Waste Storage

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 March 2018

Supphatuch Ukritnukun ,
Charles Christopher Sorrell ,
Daniel Gregg ,
Eric R. Vance  and
Pramod Koshy
Supphatuch Ukritnukun*
Affiliation:
School of Materials Science and Engineering, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW2052, Australia;
Charles Christopher Sorrell
Affiliation:
School of Materials Science and Engineering, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW2052, Australia;
Daniel Gregg
Affiliation:
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW2234, Australia
Eric R. Vance
Affiliation:
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW2234, Australia
Pramod Koshy
Affiliation:
School of Materials Science and Engineering, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW2052, Australia;
*
*Email: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

There is growing interest in reducing the use of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) owing to its high energy consumption and CO2 emissions. An environmentally-friendly alternative is the use of geopolymers, which can potentially reduce direct CO2 emissions through the appropriate choice of raw materials, mix design, and curing regimes. In this regard geopolymer mortars are also realistic candidates for the replacement of OPC mortars in nuclear waste immobilisation applications as they provide a more durable incorporation matrix as well as suppressing the formation of radiolytic hydrogen. The advantages of geopolymers over OPC for nuclear waste immobilisation include i) lower water content as alkaline activator is the main component that drives geopolymerisation, ii) higher thermal stability (<600°-800°C) compared to OPC concrete (<300°C), iii) higher compressive strength (50-80 MPa), and iv) lower leachability of radioactive ions when the mix design and curing temperature are appropriately balanced. UNSW and ANSTO have embarked on a long-term research program to investigate the possibility of using geopolymers for the immobilisation of Intermediate Level Liquid Waste (ILLW), the focus of which will be around the influence of gamma-irradiation on the durability.

Keywords

cement &concretenuclear materials
Type
Articles
Information
MRS Advances , Volume 3 , Issue 20: Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management XLI , 2018 , pp. 1123 - 1131
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Kosmatka, S.H., Kerkhoff, B., and Panarese, W.C., Design and control of concrete mixtures. 2008: Portland Cement Association.Google Scholar
Bye, G.C., Portland Cement: Composition, production and properties. 1999: Thomas Telford.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Muller, N. and Harnisch, J., A blueprint for a climate friendly cement industry. 2007, WWF International: Switzerland.Google Scholar
Komnitsas, K. and Zaharaki, D., Geopolymerisation: A review and prospects for the minerals industry. Minerals Engineering, 2007. 20(14): p. 1261–1277.Google Scholar
Davidovits, J., Geopolymer Chemistry and Applications. 2011: Geopolymer Institute.Google Scholar
Nath, P. and Sarker, P.K., Effect of GGBFS on setting, workability and early strength properties of fly ash geopolymer concrete cured in ambient condition. Construction and Building Materials, 2014. 66: pp. 163–171.Google Scholar
Wardhono, A., Law, D.W., and Strano, A., The strength of alkali-activated slag/fly Ash mortar blends at ambient temperature. Procedia Engineering, 2015. 125: pp. 650–656.Google Scholar
Bakria, A.M.M.A., et al. , The Effect of Curing Temperature on Physical and Chemical Properties of Geopolymers. Physics Procedia, 2011. 22: pp. 286–291.Google Scholar
Chindaprasirt, P., et al. , High-strength geopolymer using fine high-aalcium fly ash. Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, 2011. 23(3): p. 264–270.Google Scholar
Rovnaník, P., Effect of curing temperature on the development of hard structure of metakaolin-based geopolymer. Construction and Building Materials, 2010. 24(7): p. 1176–1183.Google Scholar
Ismail, I., et al. , Modification of phase evolution in alkali-activated blast furnace slag by the incorporation of fly ash. Cement and Concrete Composites, 2014. 45(0): p. 125–135.Google Scholar
Rattanasak, U. and Chindaprasirt, P., Influence of NaOH solution on the synthesis of fly ash geopolymer. Minerals Engineering, 2009. 22(12): p. 1073–1078.Google Scholar
Temuujin, J., van Riessen, A., and Williams, R., Influence of calcium compounds on the mechanical properties of fly ash geopolymer pastes. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2009. 167(1–3): p. 82–88.Google Scholar
Temuujin, J., Williams, R.P., and van Riessen, A., Effect of mechanical activation of fly ash on the properties of geopolymer cured at ambient temperature. Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 2009. 209(12–13): p. 5276–5280.Google Scholar
Görhan, G. and Kürklü, G., The influence of the NaOH solution on the properties of the fly ash-based geopolymer mortar cured at different temperatures. Composites Part B: Engineering, 2014. 58: p. 371–377.Google Scholar
Morrell, R., Handbook of properties of technical and engineering ceramics. 1985: HMSO, UK.Google Scholar
Kingery, W.D., Introduction to ceramics. 1960: Wiley.Google Scholar
Perera, D.S., et al. , Immobilization of Cs and Sr in geopolymers with Si/Al molar ratio of∼2, in Environmental Issues and Waste Management Technologies in the Ceramic and Nuclear Industries XI. 2006, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. p. 91–96.Google Scholar
Hanna, J.V., Aldridge, L.P., Vance, E.R., Cs Speciation in cements. MRS Proceedings, 2000. 663.Google Scholar
El-Kamash, A.M., El-Naggar, M.R., and El-Dessouky, M.I., Immobilization of cesium and strontium radionuclides in zeolite-cement blends. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2006. 136(2): p. 310–316.Google Scholar
Perera, D.S., et al. , Development of geopolymers as candidate materials for low/intermediate level highly alkaline nuclear waste. Australian Nuclear Association, 2006.Google Scholar
Offermann, P., Calculation of the radiolytic gas production in cemented waste. MRS Online Proceedings Library Archive, 1988. 127.Google Scholar
Kong, D.L.Y. and Sanjayan, J.G., Effect of elevated temperatures on geopolymer paste, mortar and concrete. Cement and Concrete Research, 2010. 40(2): p. 334–339.Google Scholar
Kong, D.L.Y., Sanjayan, J.G., and Sagoe-Crentsil, K., Comparative performance of geopolymers made with metakaolin and fly ash after exposure to elevated temperatures. Cement and Concrete Research, 2007. 37(12): p. 1583–1589.Google Scholar
Rovnaník, P., Bayer, P., and Rovnaníková, P., Characterization of alkali activated slag paste after exposure to high temperatures. Construction and Building Materials, 2013. 47: p. 1479–1487.Google Scholar
Rovnaník, P. and Šafránková, K, Thermal behaviour of metakaolin/fly ash geopolymers with chamotte aggregate. Materials, 2016. 9(7): p. 535.Google ScholarPubMed
McLellan, B.C., et al. , Costs and carbon emissions for geopolymer pastes in comparison to ordinary portland cement. Journal of Cleaner Production, 2011. 19(9–10): p. 1080–1090.Google Scholar
Duxson, P., et al. , The role of inorganic polymer technology in the development of ‘green concrete’. Cement and Concrete Research, 2007. 37(12): p. 1590–1597.Google Scholar
Gartner, E., Industrially interesting approaches to “low-CO2” cements. Cement and Concrete Research, 2004. 34(9): p. 1489–1498.Google Scholar
Ukritnukun, S. Development of ambient-cured low-alkali high -strength geopolymers. Ph.D. Thesis, UNSW 2017Google Scholar
Vance, E.R. and Perera, D.S., Development of geopolymers for nuclear waste immobilisation, in Handbook of Advanced Radioactive Waste Conditioning Technologies. 2011, Woodhead Publishing. p. 207–229.Google Scholar
Van Deventer, J.S.J., Feng, D., and Duxson, P., Dry mix cement composition, methods and systems involving same. 2010, Google Patents.Google Scholar
Nath, S.K. and Kumar, S., Influence of iron making slags on strength and microstructure of fly ash geopolymer. Construction and Building Materials, 2013. 38(0): p. 924–930.Google Scholar
Bakharev, T., Geopolymeric materials prepared using Class F fly ash and elevated temperature curing. Cement and Concrete Research, 2005. 35(6): p. 1224–1232.Google Scholar
Chindaprasirt, P., Chareerat, T., and Sirivivatnanon, V., Workability and strength of coarse high calcium fly ash geopolymer. Cement and Concrete Composites, 2007. 29(3): p. 224–229.Google Scholar
Pacheco-Torgal, F., et al. , Chapter 9-Alkali-activated cement-based binders (AACBs) as durable and cost-competitive low-CO2 binder materials: Some shortcomings that need to be addressed A2-Nazari, Ali, in Handbook of Low Carbon Concrete, Sanjayan, J.G., Editor. 2017, Butterworth-Heinemann. p. 195–216.Google Scholar