Fire protection of nuclear waste: evaluation at reduced scale

Concrete containers are commonly used for storing and transporting nuclear waste. However, metals like aluminum cannot be directly conditioned in concrete due to their rapid and exothermic reactions with the alkalis present in the concrete. To address this issue, Orano DS investigates the use of Matrix Mortar of Resin (MMR), which embeds metal waste within a resin matrix (e.g. epoxy resin). The protective MMR is then stored in concrete containers. The French agency ANDRA oversees radioactive waste management and developed its own standards such as ET060, which evaluates fire behavior in waste packages. A bench-scale fire test mimicking ET060 was successfully developed in this work. Small containers were made to fit within the test and were instrumented with thermocouples. It was evidenced that the MMR was not degraded during the test (protection by the concrete shell) and that the conditions of the test were fulfilled.