Approval for ‘Soft Bag’ by Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute
Lower costs and increased safety compared to existing processes···Technology transfer to Orbitec
The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) has received the first domestic approval for the use of a non-dispersive packaging material from the Korea Radioactive Waste Agency (KORAD).
On April 3, KAERI announced that it developed a non-dispersive packaging material called the ‘Soft Bag’, which can prevent the spread of particulate radioactive waste into the external environment, and received the first domestic approval for its use from KORAD.
Particulate radioactive waste refers to fine waste containing radioactive contaminants, where at least 1% consists of particles with a diameter of less than 0.01mm or at least 15% consists of particles with a diameter of less than 0.2mm. Such waste poses diffusion risks and must be managed to prevent dispersion. However, there is currently no dedicated packaging, forcing the use of sieving processes to package only the larger waste. Smaller particles passing through the sieve are stabilized with cement, which increases the waste volume and disposal costs by about twofold.
To address these limitations, Dr. Hee-Cheol Eun’s team at KAERI’s Radioactive Waste Comprehensive Management Department developed a new Soft Bag that met all the necessary acquisition criteria, including drop and submersion tests (IPX7 standard), for approval.
The Soft Bag passed rigorous tests, including a drop impact test where it fell from a height of 1.2 meters while holding over 350kg of waste to evaluate content loss or damage, and a water penetration test where it was submerged 1 meter deep for 30 minutes to check for water infiltration. The team used polypropylene fabric resistant to corrosion and chemical reactions, with special stitching techniques using high-strength thread to enhance the Soft Bag’s strength and durability. The Soft Bag is designed to fit the size of a 200-liter drum, ensuring compatibility with existing disposal methods. Standardized guidelines for the optimal use of the packaging, including the size and position of drawstrings and knots, were also provided, ensuring uniform packaging strength at the site.
By using the newly developed Soft Bag, the traditional sieving and stabilization processes can be omitted, allowing particulate radioactive waste to be directly packaged and permanently disposed of, reducing processing time by more than 90%.
The team plans to start using this Soft Bag for packaging radioactive contaminated soil during nuclear decommissioning from May this year. Applying this is expected to save over 8 billion KRW for every 1,000 drums. To facilitate this, the team filed a domestic patent in March and transferred the related technology to Orbitec. They plan to broaden the scope of the Soft Bag’s application by collaborating with radioactive waste-generating institutions, regulatory bodies, and disposal operators.
Sung-Bin Park, Director of the Radioactive Waste Integrated Management Division, stated, “We aim to establish a system to extend this research outcome to radioactive waste concrete and contribute to securing on-site technology for nuclear decommissioning waste treatment.”