Counter Weapon Containment

Abstract

A radioactive containment composition may be created for containing radionuclides from a radioactive material by mixing a clay mineral with water. This mixture may form an aqueous clay suspension, which in turn can be refined by filtering to remove coarse material. The aqueous clay suspension may be applied to a radioactive material, allowing the radionuclides to be exchanged with cations in the aqueous clay suspension. The resulting aqueous slurry may be collected, heated and analyzed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A radionuclide containment composition for containing a radioactive material comprising a mixture of a clay mineral and water, said mixture being refined by filtering said mixture with sieves to remove coarse material. 
     
     
         2 . A radionuclide containment composition according to  claim 1 , wherein said radioactive material is  137 CsCl. 
     
     
         3 . A radionuclide containment composition according to  claim 1 , wherein said clay mineral is montmorillonite. 
     
     
         4 . A radionuclide containment composition according to  claim 1 , wherein said clay mineral is Na-montmorillonite. 
     
     
         5 . A radionuclide containment composition according to  claim 1 , wherein a weight ratio of said clay mineral to said water ranges from 1:99 to 99:1. 
     
     
         6 . A radionuclide containment composition according to  claim 1 , wherein an aperture size of said sieves ranges from 300 μm to <38 μm. 
     
     
         7 . A process for making a radionuclide containment composition for containing a radioactive material comprising:
 a. creating an aqueous clay suspension by mixing a clay mineral with water; and   b. refining said aqueous clay suspension by filtering said aqueous clay suspension with sieves to remove coarse material.   
     
     
         8 . A process according to  claim 7 , wherein said radioactive material is  137 CsCl. 
     
     
         9 . A process according to  claim 7 , wherein said clay mineral is montmorillonite. 
     
     
         10 . A process according to  claim 7 , wherein said clay mineral is Na-montmorillonite. 
     
     
         11 . A process according to  claim 7 , wherein a weight ratio of said clay mineral to said water ranges from 1:99 to 99:1. 
     
     
         12 . A process according to  claim 7 , wherein an aperture size of said sieves ranges from 300 μm to <38 μm. 
     
     
         13 . A method for removing radionuclides from a radioactive material comprising contacting said radioactive material with a radionuclide containment composition, allowing said radionuclides to be exchanged with said radionuclide containment composition,
 a. said contacting resulting in an aqueous slurry; and   b. said radionuclide containment composition being an aqueous clay suspension comprising a filtered mixture of a clay mineral and water.   
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 13 , wherein said radionuclides are  137 Cs. 
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 13 , wherein said radioactive material is  137 CsCl. 
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 13 , wherein said clay mineral is montmorillonite. 
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 13 , wherein said clay mineral is Na-montmorillonite. 
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 13 , further including heating said aqueous slurry to a temperature of at least about 250° C. 
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 18 , further including analyzing said aqueous slurry, wherein said analyzing involving at least one of the following:
 a. x-ray diffraction;   b. electron diffraction;   c. selected area electron diffraction;   d. Bragg diffraction; and   e. Electron backscatter diffraction.