SHORT-TERM PROCESSES OF RADIONUCLIDE IMMOBILIZATION IN CEMENT - A CHEMICAL APPROACH

Abstract The ions released in solution by the constituents of cement (principally silicate, aluminate, OH and Ca ions) can combine with the anions and cations from nuclear wastes present in the mixing water to give very insoluble compounds that can fix these ions in the concrete matrix. In order to understand some of the particular physico-chemical processes involved in cement hydration in the presence of analogue elements, tricalcium silicate (C 3 S) was used instead of cement, which is too complex a mixture. It was found that the salt of a chemical analogue, a lanthanide salt, showed some accelerating effects when present in dilute amounts but resulted in large accelerating effects on QS …