INFLUENCE OF MINERAL TYPE AND GRAIN SIZE VARIATION OF

FILLER ON LIQUID RADIOACTIVE WASTE CEMENTATION IN

SALINE ENVIRONMENT
by
Edi Septriyanto
05/187907/TK/31039

Submitted to the Department of Engineering Physics

Faculty of Engineering Universitas Gadjah Mada on March 31, 2010
In partial fulfillment of the Degree of
Bachelor of Engineering in Nuclear Engineering

ABSTRACT
Cementation is one of the methods to solidify liquid radioactive waste using
cement matrix which aims to reduce the mobilization and dispersion of
radionuclides and other hazardous substances into the environment. The quality of
the cementation results is determined based on their compressive strength and
leaching rate, so that the research is needed to obtain the best mixture composition
of cementation that gives optimum compressive strength and leaching rate.
This research was conducted to determine the best type of fillers materials
and fillers grain size that used in liquid radioactive waste cementation in saline
environments through pressure and leach testing. The cementation process was
done by mixing the waste simulation of Sr(NO 3)2 with PPC cement, filler and
water. The mixture was casted into cylindrical with 2,6 cm of length and 5,2 cm
of diameter. This Sr(NO3)2 concentration were 10v/o, filler used was sand, zeolite
and barite with grain size variations of - 40, -60, -100, -140, and -200 mesh. After
being casted, cement mortar were cured for 28 days, then the cement mortar were
tested with compressive strength test by Avery-Denison machine. To determine
the leaching rate, the cement mortar was soaked in saline water for 21 days. Then
the leaching rate of strontium was analyzed with Hitachi 8000 Zeeman.
The result of research show that the variation of mineral fillers give a
significant influence on strength of cement mortar while increasing refinement of
the grain size does not provide a significant influence on compressive strength of
cement mortar. The best compressive strength is sand filled cement mortar
(41,232 ± 4,565 N/mm2) with grain size -40 mesh. The result of leach test after 21
days is sand filled cement mortar (4,106 x10-04 gram.cm-2.days-1) and zeolite filled
cement mortar (3,656 x 10-04 gram.cm-2.days-1) with the same grain size.
Compressive strength test and leach test from this research is still in IAEA
standards.

Keywords: cementation, compressive strength test, filler, grain size, leach test,
saline environment

Supervisor: Dr.-Ing. Kusnanto

Co-supervisor:Ir. Susetyo Hario Putero, M. Eng.