You are here:
DEVELOPMENT OF A POLYMERIC CEMENTING AND ENCAPSULATING PROCESS FOR MANAGING HAZARDOUS WASTES
Citation:
Lubowitz, H., R. Derham, L. Ryan, AND G. Zakrzewski. DEVELOPMENT OF A POLYMERIC CEMENTING AND ENCAPSULATING PROCESS FOR MANAGING HAZARDOUS WASTES. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/2-77/045.
Description:
A process using polymeric materials to cement and encapsulate dry hazardous waste was researched, developed, and evaluated. The process involves cementing particulates of waste into 500 to 1000 pound agglomerates, and then fusing a plastic jacket onto the agglomerate surfaces, thereby encapsulating them. Polybutadiene, as a binder resin, was found to be capable of cementing waste 94 to 96 percent by ready processing of the agglomerates. Encapsulating the waste-binder agglomerates with 1/4-inch jacket of high density polyerthylene can be carried out by packing powdered polyethylene about the agglomerate and then fusing the powder in situ. The method was satisfactorily applied to produce laboratory specimens containing, in some cases, high concentrations of highly water soluble heavy metal wastes, e.g., sodium metaarsenate. Test specimens were subjected to leaching solutions for 120 days and mechanical stresses to evaluate the processes' capability to isolate the hazardous waste from selected disposal environments. Results indicate the processes' ability to prevent, or limit to acceptable levels, the release or delocalization of the hazardous waste to the environment under various disposal schemes. This report discusses the process and provides results of the evaluations.