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Thermal plasma technology for radioactive waste treatment: a review

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In this paper, a review of radioactive wastes treatment using thermal plasma technology is presented as a treatment method for radioactive waste management. Virtually all waste streams can be treated by the thermal plasma technologies, resulting in a conditioned product, free from organics and liquids, definitely meeting the acceptance criteria for safe storage and disposal. The application of the thermal plasma system in the nuclear area is still one of the current research topics due to the theoretical and practical complexity of the treatment. This paper discusses the performance of the thermal plasma systems, addressing the advantages and limitations of the method.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the Plasma and Process Laboratory of the Aeronautics Institute of Technology (LPP-ITA), National Institute for Space Research (INPE) and the Radioactive Waste Management Facility of the Nuclear and Energy Research Institute (SEGRR/IPEN).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais - INPE, Rua dos Astronautas 1758, São José dos Campos, SP, 12227-010, Brazil

    Eduardo S. P. Prado & Mauricio R. Baldan

  2. Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica - ITA, Rua Marechal Eduardo Gomes 50, São José dos Campos, SP, 12228-900, Brazil

    Eduardo S. P. Prado, Felipe S. Miranda & Gilberto Petraconi

  3. Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares - IPEN, Av. Professor Lineu Prestes 2242, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil

    Leandro G. de Araujo

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  1. Eduardo S. P. Prado
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Correspondence to Eduardo S. P. Prado.

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Prado, E.S.P., Miranda, F.S., de Araujo, L.G. et al. Thermal plasma technology for radioactive waste treatment: a review. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 325, 331–342 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-020-07269-4

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