Thermal plasma technology for radioactive waste treatment: a review

In this paper, a review of radioactive wastes treatment using thermal plasma technology is presented as a treatment method for radioactive waste management. Virtually all waste streams can be treated by the thermal plasma technologies, resulting in a conditioned product, free from organics and liquids, definitely meeting the acceptance criteria for safe storage and disposal. The application of the thermal plasma system in the nuclear area is still one of the current research topics due to the theoretical and practical complexity of the treatment. This paper discusses the performance of the thermal plasma systems, addressing the advantages and limitations of the method.