Gamma irradiation testing of montan wax barrier materials for in-situ waste containment

摘要

A scoping study was carried out to quantify the potential use of a montan wax as a barrier material for subsurface use. If it possesses resistance to chemical and structural change, it could be used in a barrier to minimize the migration of contaminants from their storage or disposal locations. Properties that were evaluated included hardness, melting point, molecular weight, and biodegradation as a function of gamma radiation dose. The main emphasis was to quantify the wax's long-term ability to withstand radiation-induced mechanical, chemical, and microbial degradation.