Results of Melting Large Quantities of Radioactive Steel Scrap

A method is developed for treating contaminated metallic waste from nuclear facilities by melting. The goal is to reduce the volume of scrap to be stored in the final depository because of the high costs of storage. It is possible to recycle the material by using it to produce components to be used in nuclear facilities, especially for shielding purposes. Products include shielding blocks, shielding doors, and type A and B containers for transport and storage of radioactive waste. This method had to meet safety requirements to be licensed by the appropriate authorities. The license was granted in 1985 and ∼1500 t of material has been processed.