Year: 2007
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: Within the context of nuclear plants maintenance and later dismantling, we report an attractive new decontamination technique leading to the reduction of the liquid secondary effluents volume [1]. It is based on the use of new colloidal silica gels sprayed on metallic surfaces to decontaminate and the removal of the gel containing the pollutants without water rinsing. This process is applied as following. First, the gel is sprayed onto the surface to be cleaned. Then, because the gel is able to dry at room temperature in a few hours, a thin thickness of the contaminated surface is corroded. During the drying, the gel cracks and leads to the formation of solid tiles, coming off more or less easily from the surface. Last, the final solid particles containing the pollutants are removed from the surface and recovered by vacuum cleaning or by brushing. During the past years, different specific formulations were developed to decontaminate metals such as stainless steel, aluminium or lead. This paper is an overview of fundamental studies conducted by the CEA on this new gel decontamination technique. Main aspects of gel feature (chemical composition, rheology, stability) are developed. Besides, the efficiency results obtained at the conclusion of the process application led on in a real contaminated hot cell at the CEA Marcoule are detailed.
Authors: Frederic Cuer, Paul Fuentes, Sylvain Faure
Language: English
Subfield: Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W2180695618