METHOD FOR RESIN, SOLIDS, AND SLUDGE SOLIDIFICATION, STABILIZATION, AND REDUCTION OF DISPOSAL VOLUME

1 . A method for solidification of a waste material, comprising:

removing excess water from the waste material;

mixing at least one polymer with the waste material to provide a polymer-waste mixture; and

curing the polymer in the polymer-waste mixture to provide a solidified monolith waste form having a continuous polymer matrix encapsulating the waste material.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the solidified monolith waste form has a volume that is from about 50 to about 98% less than an original volume of the waste material.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the solidified monolith waste form has a volume that is from about 75 to about 95% less than the original volume of the waste material.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein removing excess water from the waste material comprises at least one of dewatering the waste material or drying the waste material.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising at least partially decomposing the waste material.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein decomposing the waste material comprises heating the waste material to a temperature of from about 150° C. to about 250° C.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the waste material comprises from about 0% to about 80% volume reduction in response to heating the waste to a temperature of from about 150° C. to about 250° C.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the waste material is heated via at least one of hot oil, high pressure steam, electrical resistance heating, microwave heating, or any combination thereof.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising cooling the waste material after drying.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing and metering the waste material to a mixer after removing the excess water from the waste material, wherein storing and metering the waste material to the mixer comprises volumetric metering or gravimetric metering.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising metering the at least one polymer to the mixer before mixing the at least one polymer with the waste material to provide the polymer-waste mixture.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one polymer comprises a thermosetting polymer.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the thermosetting polymer comprises at least one of an epoxy, a vinyl ester resin or network, a polyester resin system, a fiberglass resin system, or any combination thereof.

14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising distributing the polymer-waste mixture among a plurality of waste containers.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising closing and transferring the plurality of waste containers.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of waste containers is lined with at least one polymer.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of waste containers comprises a leveling mechanism.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the leveling mechanism comprises at least one of a shaker, a vibrator, an ultrasonic inducer, an indexing table, or any combination thereof.

19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the waste comprises at least one of radioactive waste or hazardous waste.

20 . A method for solidification of a waste material, comprising:

dewatering the waste material to remove excess water;

drying the waste material;

storing and metering the waste material to a mixer;

metering a polymer to the mixer;

mixing the polymer with the waste material in the mixer to provide a polymer-waste mixture;

distributing the polymer-waste mixture among a plurality of waste containers; and

curing the polymer in the polymer-waste mixture to provide a solidified monolith waste form having a continuous polymer matrix encapsulating the waste material.