Decontamination Techniques and Fixative Coatings Evaluated in the Building 235-F Legacy Source Term Removal Study Page: 2 of 19
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OBU-NMM-2005-0123
Page 1 of 18
Decontamination Techniques and Fixative
Coatings Evaluated in the Building 235-F Legacy
Source Term Removal Study
W. E. Farrell, C. G. May and R. S. Howell
Westinghouse Savannah River Co.
Introduction
Savannah River Site Building 235-F was being considered for future plutonium storage and
stabilization missions but the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) noted that large
quantities of Plutonium-238 left in cells and gloveboxes from previous operations posed a
potential hazard to both the existing and future workforce. This material resulted from the
manufacture of Pu-238 heat sources used by the NASA space program to generate electricity for
deep space exploration satellites. A multi-disciplinary team was assembled to propose a cost-
effective solution to mitigate this legacy source term which would facilitate future DOE
plutonium storage activities in 235-F. One aspect of this study involved an evaluation of
commercially available radiological decontamination techniques to remove the legacy Pu-238 and
fixative coatings that could stabilize any residual Pu-238 following decontamination activities.
Four chemical methods were identified as most likely to meet decontamination objectives for this
project and are discussed in detail. Short and long term fixatives will be reviewed with particular
attention to the potential radiation damage caused by Pu-238, which has a high specific activity
and would be expected to cause significant radiation damage to any coating applied.
Encapsulants that were considered to mitigate the legacy Pu-238 will also be reviewed.
Decontamination Methods
Various radiological decontamination methodologies have been investigated to support removal
of plutonium-238 legacy contamination from cells and glove boxes located in Building 235-F.
Four chemical decontamination methods have been identified as the most likely to meet the
decontamination objectives for this project. These chemical methods include nitric acid, cerium
nitrate, Gylgel (cerium nitrate gel) and the RadPro* decontamination process. Three of these four
methods have been evaluated in DOE Innovative Technology Reports (nitric acid, cerium nitrate,
and RadPro*). Glygel is a delivery system for cerium nitrate, so its performance is assumed to be
similar to that described in the DOE report for cerium nitrate.
Discussion
Two different evaluations compared nitric acid as the baseline decontamination technology to
cerium nitrate [1] and the RadProo process [2]. All of these methods required manual application
of the decontamination chemicals by spraying the solution inside the glovebox and then
scrubbing the chemical into the surface material. The chemical would be left on the surface for at
least twenty minutes before being removed by a rinsate solution and wiped down with rags. The
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Farrell, Wayne. Decontamination Techniques and Fixative Coatings Evaluated in the Building 235-F Legacy Source Term Removal Study, article, April 21, 2005; South Carolina. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc778238/m1/2/: accessed March 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.