Prospects of the application of curable decontamination solutions in problems of impact improving of nuclear power plants

Abstract

The technology of power generation from nuclear power is accompanied by the formation of radioactive waste, which has significant potential environmental hazards. This paper proposes new methods of decontamination of NPP equipment with fluids that immediately after use can be converted into an environmentally safe condition -curing methods of decontamination solutions. A characteristic feature of curable solutions decontamination methods is that the composition of the decontamination solution, and also processes in the solution during deactivation, affect the subsequent transfer of this solution to a solid state, as well as on the properties of the matrix, which will be "sealed" removed radionuclides. The main factor determining the course of the process of decontamination methods can be divided into contact, acid-abrasive, ultrasound and combined. Concerning the main component of the decontamination solution (slurry) methods can be subdivided into solutions with hydraulic binders, clay slurry (with conventional clay and a clay with a high alumina content) suspension of diatomite and combined. The means of transfer of the solutions used in the solid state methods are divided into "self-curing" heat treatable and cemented. Application of methods of the curing solution allows us to reduce the number of operations to deactivate air conditioning that provides economic benefits and allows us to create a whole class of portable equipment and to reduce the amount ongoing to dump 4-6 times in comparison with cemented.

The astonishing 63Ni radioactivity reduction in radioactive wastes by means of ultrasounds application

“…However, these methods do not modify the radioactivity of the single radionuclide but limit themselves to separate the radioactive fraction from all the rest of the material and, possibly, to concentrate it. In this way, the deactivation of a radioactive substance consists in incorporating it in a large volume of inert material: the result is a radioactivity decrease per unit of volume but the total number of radioactive nuclei is unchanged [3,4].…”