Fusion for waste disposal

[rashidas]

Years ago I read in the popular press about using some sort of fusion process to treat solid and hazardous waste. The basic idea was to use fusion to create a plasma which in turn can decompose hazardous waste materials. Does anyone have any references to the use of fusion in waste treatment?

[Breakable]

There are two different processes:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_arc_gasification
disposes common organic waste by gasifying it into flammable compounds that is totally unrelated to fusion or nuclear waste.

Another method is using fusion to burn up wasted fission fuel:
http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/news/2589/fission-fusion-hybrids-could-mop-nuclear-waste

[Brian H]

Breakable wrote: There are two different processes:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_arc_gasification
disposes common organic waste by gasifying it into flammable compounds that is totally unrelated to fusion or nuclear waste.

…

Just to be clear, a fusion plant would generate hot plasma directly, which could be used as described. Also, it DOES handle metallic and hazardous waste — eg, dead household batteries, etc. The metals are gassified and recovered.

As for the source, the hot plasma doesn’t care where it came from! :cheese:

[Jolly Roger]

Breakable wrote: There are two different processes:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_arc_gasification
disposes common organic waste by gasifying it into flammable compounds that is totally unrelated to fusion or nuclear waste.

There may still be some toxic substances remaining after the plasma process breaks everything down to basic atoms. Arsenic is still Arsenic, radioactives are still radioactive.

Another method is using fusion to burn up wasted fission fuel:
http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/news/2589/fission-fusion-hybrids-could-mop-nuclear-waste

This fusion process involves neutronic fusion, not the aneutronic fusion/fission of Focus Fusion. FF could not be used for this unless alpha particles could be used instead of neutrons.

[Breakable]

Jolly Roger wrote:
This fusion process involve neutronic fusion, not the aneutronic fusion/fission of Focus Fusion. FF could not be used for this unless alpha particles could be used instead of neutrons.

If you burn different fuel you get neutronic fusion.

[Jolly Roger]

Breakable wrote:

This fusion process involve neutronic fusion, not the aneutronic fusion/fission of Focus Fusion. FF could not be used for this unless alpha particles could be used instead of neutrons.

If you burn different fuel you get neutronic fusion.

True, I should have mentioned that. Deuterium or Tritium reactions yield neutrons. I understand that early FF tests will be with those fuels. If p-B11 doesn’t pan out, Deuterium could be a fall-back position. Deuterium could be used for radioactive waste disposal even if p-B11 does work, but definitely “NOT in MY backyard”!

[Brian H]

I’m not sure if this constitutes competition or a potential collaboration. Plasco Energy Group uses combusion of waste stream “syngas” to heat municipal waste to produce syngas to get more refined syngas to run generators and produce steam plus generate sorted commercially valuable waste streams and use a plasma torch to refine out all but the heavy metal slag which is sold as vitrified aggregate. :ohh: :cheese: :coolcheese:

Just sell them a bit of land to accept truckloads of anything from standard garbage to excavated landfill contents, etc., and they’ll be happy to get rid of ALL your waste for a small tipping fee.

Or SLT.

[Author]

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