Method of radium stabilizing in solid effluent or effluent containing substances in suspension

1. A method for producing a solid or semi-solid residue from a starting effluent selected from the group consisting of a solid radium-containing effluent and a radium-containing effluent containing solid substances in suspension, wherein the residue contains stabilized radium and solids or solid substances of the starting effluent comprising the following steps:

mixing the starting effluent and a metal chloride selected from a group of barium chloride, strontium chloride, lead chloride and a metal chloride mixture having at least two of the barium chloride, strontium chloride or lead chloride to obtain a mixture; and then

adding a sulphate ion, the sulphate ion reacting with the mixture to provide the solid or semi-solid residue containing the stabilized radium and solids or solid substances of the starting effluent.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the radium-containing effluent is a liquid and contains from 5 to 70 g/l of substances in suspension.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the radium-containing effluent is a liquid and contains from 5 to 50 g/l of substances in suspension.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the effluent is in a state selected from the group consisting of a semi-solid and a sludge and contains from 70 to 300 g/l of substances in suspension.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the effluent is in a state selected from the group consisting of a semi-solid and a sludge and contains from 150 to 300 g/l of substances in suspension.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the radium-containing effluent is a solid.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the molar ratio between a metal ion of the metal chloride and the sulfate ion is close to 1.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein no solid particles are removed prior to mixing with the metal chloride.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the chloride and the sulfate ions are in excess relative to the radium.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the sulfate ion is supplied by the addition of one additive selected from the group consisting of sulfuric acid, sulfuric anhydride, soluble sulfate and soluble sulfate salt.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the sulfate ion is supplied by an aqueous sulfuric acid solution having a concentration of from 20 to 50% by weight.

12. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the sulfate ion is supplied by an aqueous sulfuric acid solution having a concentration of at least 90% by weight.

13. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the effluent containing stabilized radium is neutralized.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein the neutralization is carried out with the aid of a hydroxide selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide.

15. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein the neutralization is carried out with the aid of a sodium hydroxide solution having a concentration of from 10 to 50%.

16. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein the pH is adjusted to a value of from 7 to 10.

17. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein the pH is adjusted to a value of from 8 to 9.

18. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein with the neutralization, some of or all of the other metals present in the effluent are precipitated.

19. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein flocculation of the neutralized effluent is effected by adding a flocculating agent.

20. The method as recited in claim 19 wherein the flocculate is treated by a process selected from the group consisting of decantation and filtration to recover a solid residue containing the stabilized radium and a liquid phase of the effluent.

21. The method as recited in claim 20 wherein filtration is carried out on a filtration apparatus selected from the group consisting of a filter press and a rotary filter.

22. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein before the chloride or sulfate ion is added, the effluent is subjected to ultrasound treatment.

23. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the method is applied to the treatment of effluents selected from the group consisting of solid radium-containing effluents and radium-containing effluents containing substances in suspension produced during zirconium metallurgy or chemistry.

24. The method as recited in claim 23 wherein the radium-containing effluent is from a source selected from the group consisting of:

one selected from the group consisting of dissolutions and washings of equipment employed in carbochlorination of zirconium mineral;

sludges from the carbochlorination process;

one selected from the group consisting of dissolutions and washings of equipment employed in a process of extraction and separation of an element selected from the group consisting of zirconium and hafnium;

sludges from the process of extraction and separation of an element selected from the group consisting of zirconium and hafnium; and

a mixture of at least one of the effluents.

25. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein effluents are sent continuously to stabilization areas of the types selected from the group consisting of stabilization pits and tanks mounted in parallel, in which the stabilization pits and tanks are agitated constantly; when a stabilization area is full, the effluents are sent to a following stabilization area while radium stabilization treatment is carried out in the stabilization area which has just been filled, wherein, once stabilization has been carried out in the stabilization area, the stabilized contents are removed therefrom so that the stabilization area is ready to receive effluents for stabilization again.

26. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the effluent selected is a solid.

27. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the starting effluent includes substances in suspension or solids in the form of non-radioactive substances.