Method for sealing repackaging container for high-integrity container for radioactive waste disposal and repackaging container sealed thereby

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method for sealing cover and main body parts of a high-integrity container made of high-density polyethylene for accommodating radioactive waste, and a repackaging container sealed by the method. The method for sealing a repackaging container for a high-integrity container for radioactive waste disposal according to the present invention comprises the steps of: placing a spacer on the upper surface of a main body part which is the portion a cover part therefor comes into contact; filling the interior of the main body part with a thermosetting filler; covering the main body part with the cover part; and attaching a heating jacket on the sides of the main body and cover parts to cure the thermosetting filler.

Description

Sealing method for a repackaging container of a high-integrity container for radioactive waste disposal and a repackaging container using this method

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for sealing a lid portion and a body portion of a high-density polyethylene high-integrity container for containing radioactive waste, and a repackaging container using this method.

[0002] Generally, polyethylene (PE) high-integrity containers (HICs) are used in various nuclear power plants for the storage and disposal of radioactive waste (e.g., waste resins). Repackaging containers designed to ensure disposal suitability for these polyethylene HICs are typically made of concrete to provide sufficient mechanical strength and ensure ease of manufacturing. However, due to the characteristics of high-density polyethylene, it is difficult to provide the level of mechanical strength required by domestic disposal sites, resulting in a failure to achieve disposal suitability. Consequently, repackaging containers capable of accommodating HICs and possessing sufficient mechanical strength have been developed. Nevertheless, while disposal safety can only be ensured if the lid and body of the repackaging container possess excellent sealing characteristics, there is a problem in that the current containers fail to adequately meet this requirement.

[0003] Accordingly, the present invention is proposed to solve the aforementioned problems, and the objective of the present invention is to provide a sealing method for a repackaging container of a high-integrity container for radioactive waste disposal that can ensure disposal suitability by blocking fluid leakage from a polyethylene high-integrity container, and a repackaging container using this method.

[0004] To achieve the above-described objective of the present invention, the present invention provides a sealing method for a repackaging container of a high-integrity container for radioactive waste disposal and a repackaging container using the same method, comprising the steps of: placing a spacer on the upper surface of a main body, which is the part where the cover portion of the main body contacts; filling the interior of the main body with a thermosetting filler after the step of placing the spacer on the upper surface of the main body; covering the main body with a cover portion after the step of filling the interior of the main body with a thermosetting filler; and placing a heating jacket on the side of the main body and the cover portion to cure the thermosetting filler after the step of covering the main body with a cover portion.

[0005] The above-mentioned thermosetting filler is preferably composed of one of unsaturated polyester, epoxy, or polyurethan resin selected as a polymer material.

[0006] In the step of curing the above-mentioned thermosetting filler, it is preferable that the temperature for thermosetting be 70 degrees Celsius or lower.

[0007] The present invention can ensure disposal suitability by placing a spacer between the main body and the cover, filling the interior of the main body with a thermosetting filler, covering the main body with the cover, and curing the thermosetting filler to fix the cover to the main body, thereby blocking the leakage of fluid (contents) from the polyethylene high integrity container.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating the state before the cover part is combined with the main body part to explain an embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] FIG. 2 is a drawing illustrating a state in which a spacer is placed on the upper surface of the main body to explain an embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] FIG. 3 is a drawing illustrating a state in which a thermosetting filler is injected into the interior of the main body to explain an embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating a state in which a cover part is placed over a main body part to explain an embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a method of heat-curing a thermosetting filler while the main body is covered with a cover part to explain an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the attached drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present invention. However, the present invention may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In the drawings, parts unrelated to the explanation have been omitted to clearly explain the present invention, and the same reference numerals are assigned to identical or similar components throughout the specification.

[0014] FIG. 1 illustrates the main body (100) and the lid (200) of a repackaging container for high integrity of radioactive waste to explain an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] The repackaging container for high integrity of radioactive waste of the embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the 'repackaging container') comprises a main body part (100) and a lid part (200).

[0016] The repackaging container, including the main body (100) and the cover (200), can be made of concrete or the like. A space is provided inside the main body (100) to accommodate a high-integrity container for radioactive waste.

[0017] The main body (100) has a spacer (103) placed on the upper part (100a, see FIG. 1) where the cover part (200) is in close contact or in contact. The spacer (103) may be made of a pre-cured polymer layer (see FIG. 2). The spacer (103) may have a thickness of about 1 cm and serves to absorb shock when the cover part (200) is attached to the main body (100) and to allow a sufficient amount of thermosetting filler (105) to be filled into the space (100b) of the main body (100).

[0018] After the step of placing a spacer (103) on the upper part (100a) of the main body (100), a thermosetting filler (105) is filled into the internal space (100b, void, illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2) on the upper side of the main body (100) (see FIG. 3). The main body (100) has a space (100b) separated from the cover part (200) on the inner side of the upper part (100a), and a thermosetting filler (105) is filled into this space (100b). In an embodiment of the present invention, the thermosetting filler (105) may be made of a polymer material selected from one of unsaturated polyester, epoxy, and polyurethan resin.

[0019] After the step of filling the space (100b) of the main body (100) with a thermosetting filler (105), a cover part (200) is placed over the main body (100) (see FIG. 4). At this time, the cover part (200) is provided with a protrusion that can be inserted into the space (100b), and after the thermosetting filler (105) is inserted into the thermosetting filler (105) and the thermosetting filler (105) is cured, the main body (100) and the cover part (200) can maintain a solid fixed state.

[0020] Then, after the step of covering the main body (100) with the cover part (200), a dedicated heating jacket (107) is placed on the side of the main body (100) and the cover part (200) to cure the thermosetting filler (105) (see FIG. 5). At this time, when curing the thermosetting filler (105), it is preferable that the temperature for heat curing be 70 degrees Celsius or lower.

[0021] Limiting the temperature for such heat curing to 70 degrees or less is the maximum temperature that allows the heat-curable filler (105) to be cured stably without compromising the stability of the high-integrity container and the packaged waste resin.

[0022] The present invention allows the lid portion (200) of a repackaging container of high integrity to be easily attached to the main body portion (100). Furthermore, the present invention allows the main body portion (100) and the lid portion (200) of the repackaging container to be easily joined by being physically connected, thereby ensuring excellent sealing characteristics at the interface. The present invention can enhance the disposal safety of the repackaging container.

[0023] The present invention can enhance sealing properties by applying a polymer layer that can be cured at a low temperature and has excellent sealing properties. In particular, the thermosetting resin used as the thermosetting filler (105) of the present invention can be cured quickly through a heating jacket (107).

[0024] The present invention allows for easy placement of a thermosetting filler (105) between the main body (100) and the cover (200) and enables securing a polymer layer of sufficient thickness.

[0025] In addition, the present invention is structured such that the space portion (100b) of the main body portion (100) has a slope and can be filled with a polymer layer filler without any remaining void in the space portion (100b) by means of a pre-arranged spacer (103) and a thermosetting filler (105).

[0026] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited thereto and can be implemented with various modifications within the scope of the claims, the detailed description of the invention, and the attached drawings, and it is obvious that such modifications also fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A step of placing a pre-cured spacer on the upper surface of the main body, which is the part where the cover of the main body contacts, After the step of placing a spacer on the upper surface of the main body, the step of filling the inside of the main body with a thermosetting filler. After the step of filling the inner side of the main body with a thermosetting filler, the step of covering the main body with a cover, and After the step of covering the main body with a cover, a heating jacket is placed on the side of the main body and the cover to cure the thermosetting filler. A sealing method for a repackaging container of a high-integrity container for radioactive waste disposal, including 2. In Claim 1, The above thermosetting filler is A sealing method for a repackaging container of a high-integrity container for radioactive waste disposal, wherein one of unsaturated polyester, epoxy, and polyurethan resin is selected as the polymer material.

3. In Claim 1, In the step of curing the above thermosetting filler A sealing method for a repackaging container of a high-integrity container for radioactive waste disposal, wherein the temperature for heat curing is 70 degrees or less.

4. A repackaging container using the sealing method of a repackaging container for a high-integrity container for radioactive waste disposal described in any one of claims 1 to 3.

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