Study of the effect of Kaolin in the mortar of cement matrices by confinement of ion exchange resins

Abstract

Radioactive waste arising as a result of nuclear activities should be safely managed from its generation to final disposal in an appropriate conditioned form to reduce the risk of radiation exposure of technical personnel and of the public and to limit contamination of the environment. The immobilization of low and intermediate level radioactive wastes in cementitious matrices is the most commonly used technique to produce inexpensive waste matrix that complies with regulatory requirements in order to protect humans and the environment against nuisance caused by ionizing radiation. Cement based materials are used in radioactive waste management to produce stable waste forms. This matrix constitutes the first build engineering barrier in disposal facilities. In this work, the kaolin is used to enhance the mechanical performance of the matrix of confinement of ion exchange resins by gradually replacing the sand in mortar with kaolin clay. The Kaolin clay sample was a special pure product, sourced from a foreign country. The maximum quantity of resins that can be incorporated into the mortar formulation without the packages losing their strength is 13.915% which results in a better mechanical strength at 6.7686 MPA compression with kaolin.