Processing radioactive waste for shipment and storage

1. A method of encapsulating a radioactive object to render the object suitable for shipment and/or storage, and including the steps of:

(a) preparing a plastic material;

(b) causing the plastic material to react with a foaming agent;

(c) generating a foaming plastic; and

(d) encapsulating the object in the foaming plastic wherein the step of encapsulating the object in the foaming plastic includes the steps selected from the group consisting of:

(i) placing a radioactive object in a container, encapsulating the container in the foaming plastic, and allowing the foaming plastic to solidify around the container to form an impervious coating; and

(ii) encapsulating the radioactive object in the foaming plastic, allowing the foaming plastic to solidify around the radioactive object to form an impervious coating;

wherein the foaming plastic comprises a rigid polyurethane foam with the composition comprising:

Polyol blend

Crosslinkers

Water

Fire retardant

Viscosity suppressant

Surfactants

Catalysts

Blowing agent

Polymeric Isocyanate

and the characteristics:

Free Rise Core Density: 2.4 lbs/ft 3

Molded Core Density: 2.8 lbs/ft 3

Compressive Strength: 37 lbs/in 2 .

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the foaming plastic comprises a rigid polyurethane foam with the composition comprising:

INGREDIENT

%

Polyol blend

34.78

Crosslinkers

1.45

Water

0.48

Fire retardant

3.60

Viscosity suppressant

1.09

Surfactants

0.72

Catalysts

0.14

Blowing agent

6.04

Polymeric Isocyanate

51.70

TOTAL

100.00

and the characteristics:

Free Rise Core Density: 2.4 lbs/ft 3

Molded Core Density: 2.8 lbs/ft 3

Compressive Strength: 37 lbs/in 2 .

3. A method of encapsulating a radioactive object to render the object suitable for shipment and/or storage, and including the steps of:

(a) preparing a plastic material;

(b) causing the plastic material to react with a foaming agent;

(c) generating a foaming plastic; and

(d) encapsulating the object in the foaming plastic, wherein the step of encapsulating the object in the foaming plastic includes the steps selected from the group consisting of:

(i) placing a radioactive object in a container, encapsulating the container in the foaming plastic, and allowing the foaming plastic to solidify around the container to form an impervious coating; and

(ii) encapsulating the radioactive object in the foaming plastic, allowing the foaming plastic to solidify around the radioactive object to form an impervious coating;

wherein the foaming plastic comprises a rigid polyurethane foam with the composition comprising:

Polyol blend

Crosslinkers

Water

Fire retardant

Viscosity suppressant

Surfactants

Catalysts

Blowing agent

Polymeric Isocyanate

and the characteristics:

Free Rise Core Density: 6.3 lbs/ft 3

Compressive Strength: 135 lbs/in 2 .

4. A method according to claim 3 , wherein the foaming plastic comprises a rigid polyurethane foam with the composition comprising:

INGREDIENT

%

Polyol blend

34.45

Crosslinkers

3.83

Water

0.05

Fire retardant

3.83

Viscosity suppressant

1.41

Surfactants

0.72

Catalysts

0.12

Blowing agent

3.44

Polymeric Isocyanate

52.15

TOTAL

100.00

and the characteristics:

Free Rise Core Density: 6.3 lbs/ft 3

Compressive Strength: 135 lbs/in 2 .

5. A method of encapsulating a radioactive object to render the object suitable for shipment and/or storage, and including the steps of:

(a) preparing a plastic material;

(b) causing the plastic material to react with a foaming agent;

(c) generating a foaming plastic; and

(d) encapsulating the object in the foaming plastic, wherein the step of encapsulating the object in the foaming plastic includes the steps selected from the group consisting of:

(i) placing a radioactive object in a container, encapsulating the container in the foaming plastic, and allowing the foaming plastic to solidify around the container to form an impervious coating; and

(ii) encapsulating the radioactive object in the foaming plastic, allowing the foaming plastic to solidify around the radioactive object to form an impervious coating;

wherein the foaming plastic comprises a rigid polyurethane foam with the composition comprising:

Polyol blend

Crosslinkers

Water

Viscosity suppressant

Surfactants

Catalysts

Blowing agent

Polymeric Isocyanate

and the characteristics:

Free Rise Core Density: 6.0 lbs/ft 3

Compressive Strength: 160 lbs/int.

6. A method according to claim 5 , wherein the foaming plastic comprises a rigid polyurethane foam with the composition comprising:

INGREDIENT

%

Polyol blend

39.38

Crosslinkers

1.65

Water

0.12

Viscosity suppressant

3.07

Surfactants

0.47

Catalysts

0.12

Blowing agent

2.36

Polymeric Isocyanate

52.83

TOTAL

100.00

and the characteristics:

Free Rise Core Density: 6.0 lbs/ft 3

Compressive Strength: 160 lbs/in 2 .

7. A method of encapsulating a radioactive object to render the object suitable for shipment and/or storage, and including the steps of:

(a) preparing a plastic material;

(b) causing the plastic material to react with a foaming agent;

(c) generating a foaming plastic; and

(d) encapsulating the object in the foaming plastic, wherein the step of encapsulating the object in the foaming plastic includes the steps selected from the group consisting of:

(i) placing a radioactive object in a container, encapsulating the container in the foaming plastic, and allowing the foaming plastic to solidify around the container to form an impervious coating; and

(ii) encapsulating the radioactive object in the foaming plastic, allowing the foaming plastic to solidify around the radioactive object to form an impervious coating;

wherein the foaming plastic comprises a rigid polyurethane foam with the composition comprising:

Polyol blend

Crosslinkers

Water

Fire retardant

Viscosity suppressant

Surfactants

Catalysts

Blowing agent

Polymeric Isocyanate

and the characteristics:

Free Rise Core Density: 6.5 lbs/ft 3

Compressive Strength: 150 lbs/in 2 .

8. A method according to claim 7 , wherein the foaming plastic comprises a rigid polyurethane foam with the composition comprising:

INGREDIENT

%

Polyol blend

33.50

Crosslinkers

4.78

Water

0.10

Fire retardant

4.31

Viscosity suppressant

0.57

Surfactants

0.38

Catalysts

1.82

Blowing agent

2.39

Polymeric Isocyanate

52.15

TOTAL

100.00

and the characteristics:

Free Rise Core Density: 6.5 lbs/ft 3

Compressive Strength: 150 lbs/in 2 .

9. A method of encapsulating a radioactive object to render the object suitable for shipment and/or storage, and including the steps of:

(a) preparing a plastic material;

(b) causing the plastic material to react with a foaming agent;

(c) generating a foaming plastic; and

(d) encapsulating the object in the foaming plastic, wherein the step of encapsulating the object in the foaming plastic includes the steps selected from the group consisting of:

(i) placing a radioactive object in a container, encapsulating the container in the foaming plastic, and allowing the foaming plastic to solidify around the container to form an impervious coating; and

(ii) encapsulating the radioactive object in the foaming plastic, allowing the foaming plastic to solidify around the radioactive object to form an impervious coating;

wherein the encapsulated object is coated with a polyurea elastomeric coating with the following composition:

Polyetheramine blend

Amine Crosslinker

Moisture Scavenger

Isocyanate Prepolymer

and the characteristics:

Tensile Strength: 3000 lbs/in 2

Tear Strength: 436 lbs/in

Elongation: 364%

Shore Hardness: 70 Shore D.

10. A method according to claim 9 , wherein the encapsulated object is coated with a polyuria elastomeric coating with the following composition:

INGREDIENT

%

Polyetheramine blend

42.31

Amine Crosslinker

4.81

Moisture Scavenger

0.96

Isocyanate Prepolymer

51.92

TOTAL

100.00

and the characteristics:

Tensile Strength: 3000 lbs/in 2

Tear Strength: 436 lbs/in

Elongation: 364%

Shore Hardness: 70 Shore D.