METHOD OF TREATMENT OF SPENT ION-EXCHANGE RESINS FOR DISPOSAL AND DEVICE FOR ITS IMPLEMENTATION

The invention relates to nuclear energy, in particular, to the reprocessing of spent ion-exchange resins, and can be used at nuclear power plants or special plants. The technical result achieved by the claimed group of inventions consists in microencapsulation of ion-exchange resins (immobilization of radionuclides inside microcapsules), reducing the volume of discharged ion-exchange resins and preventing their swelling when exposed to moisture. The said technical result relating to the method is achieved due to the fact that in the method for treatment of spent ion-exchange resins for disposal, comprising feeding a mixture of spent ion-exchange resins with transport water to the loading tank, separating the ion-exchange resins from the transport water by settling the mixture and draining the transport water from the loading tank, the subsequent metered feed of ion-exchange resins separated from the transport water into the drying chamber, vacuum drying with simultaneous mixing of the ion-exchange resins in the drying chamber at a temperature not exceeding 90?C and unloading the treated ion-exchange resin into a transport container, it is proposed that the ion-exchange resins after vacuum drying in the drying chamber are subjected to additional heat treatment in a high-temperature furnace at a temperature of 250-300?C with simultaneous stirring and vacuum drying, and unloading treated ion-exchange resin in a transport container is carried out after heat treatment in a high temperature furnace. The said technical result regarding the device is achieved due to the fact that the device for treatment of spent ion-exchange resins for disposal, including a loading tank connected to a pipeline for feeding a mixture of spent ion-exchange resins and transport water and a pipeline for draining transport water, a metering device connected to a drying chamber equipped with stirrers, an inclined feed screw located between the loading tank and the metering device, a vacuum pump connected by a pipe to the drying chamber, a heated gas filter installed on the pipeline between the drying chamber and the vacuum pump and the docking unit for discharging the treated ion exchange resins, is claimed to additionally equip with a high-temperature furnace with stirrers, as well as a feeding device located between the drying chamber and the high-temperature furnace, to equip the high- temperature furnace with a vacuum drying and gas purification system, and to connect the docking un