Decontamination Methods

[choochoohp]

I am conducting a survey of decontamination techniques, including the following:  abrasion, hydrolasing, sand blasting, vacuum blasting, scabbling/shaving, CO2 pelletizing, freon/freon substitutes, electropolishing, ultrasonic, and strippable coatings.

If you have used these techniques, would you please share the following information:  (a) which technique(s) have you used, (b) type of nuclear facility, (c) type of job/location where the technique was used, (d) lessons learned and success of the decon technique(s), and (e) any other information you think is important.

Thanks!!
choochoohp

[Jr8black3]

Chooo.. They all have their place, I need to know how you want to use it and what the purpose is, I've done everything you listed but they all have there place.. When you say hydrolase how much pressure? If you tell us what you want to do then we can help you more, You asked lots of good questions, I'm sure if you tell the folks here what your doing they will help you..

Kevin

[choochoohp]

Kevin,

I am developing a contamination control course, with decon techniques as one of the topics.  So I don't actually plan to use the methods listed.  I want to give the students the most up-to-date info on which decon methods the nuclear industry is currently using, including methods used, what type of facility, where used in the facility and for what kind of job, lessons learned, limitations on use of the decon method, etc.  Part of what I need to know is what hydrolase pressures are used and is there an optimum pressure?

I want to put together a table summarizing the info, and then discuss each method.  I won't mention facility or people's names; the info will be generic.

I am most interested in decon techniques being used in nuclear power plants, but am also interested in DOE facilities, etc.

Please let me know if you need more info.

Thanks!

choochoohp

[Jr8black3]

Chooo.. Email me I will help you, you won't regret it, I have 25 years of doing decon work..Trust me I've wrote plenty of procedures... I can tell you everything you need to know, here is my phone # 734-735-0231,,,,,I'll help you out.

[Content1]

You treat the area as contaminated, but clean it like it is regular dirt, using mild soap, water and mops, changing heads frequently and surveying the mop to see if you are removing something.  Wipe up with the clean wipes they use there, surveying from the cold are to the hottest until contamination is to the level that is accepted for the area.

[Jr8black3]

Content?? Hello..Content don't even try, you have no clue..me and Tarbox are ex Hydro guys.. Don't ever think you can hold a candle to us.. Ten ways from Sunday we've seen it all, I know I have and I'm sure he has to.. I've probably done more then I ever needed to..I've been in every crap hole there can be,, trust me I have..I've done S/G decon talking bowl and tube sheet,, I've also been in some of the nastiest cavitys EVER...Content I don't disrepect you, but you don't know more about decon then me,, you want them to go slop a mop around, thats not the answer.

[vikingfan]

i agree kevin it sounds as if he is mopping his kitchen floor !!! first off a mop is not the way to go thats for sure and im sure he has no idea what a hydrolaser is unless he googles it. we went even touch the subject of bead blasting etc. leave the deconning to the experienced pros ok content

[RDTroja]

You treat the area as contaminated, but clean it like it is regular dirt, using mild soap, water and mops, changing heads frequently and surveying the mop to see if you are removing something.  Wipe up with the clean wipes they use there, surveying from the cold are to the hottest until contamination is to the level that is accepted for the area.

If there was an award for oversimplification, this would win hands down.

Decontamination is half art and half science. Good deconners can tell you with reasonable certainty when the job is done and just need the RP to come in and confirm. I recommend that choochoohp (there has got to be a story behind that handle) gets as much information from real deconners as he can... or better yet, hire someone with real experience to develop and teach the class.

I have a lot of RP experience and have covered quite a few professional deconners. I have done a lot of training and have developed a lot of training material. I would not even think about developing and presenting a real decon class (I have developed and taught Decon 101 classes) without a professional deconner as my partner.

[Content1]

It got some of you to kick in some ideas.  Truth is, I sling a meter and call in the deconners to do the actual work.  I can see contamination hasn't a chance against real deconners.  Deconners are truly underpaid for their services.  I give a bow to their superior abilities.

[HenryBlack]

I used to be a deconner back in 1981 and I can say that the decon crew is probably the most important crew on site. Now back to the question, I have either used or covered the usage of every decon technique there is.
Hydrolasing is the way to go if the equipment being deconned is tough enough to take the pressure and is waterproof. In my opinion CO2 blasting is the best non destructive method of deconning. The only exception may be that the ice beads bounce off of rubber materials. I have seen tools that were in the hot tool room for years come clean using this method. And I have seen extension cords that were rubber coated not come clean after three tries. At VC Summer SGRP we even deconned welders and TV monitors that were internally contaminted,with the CO2 blaster and didnt destroy them.  When you are done most of your contamination has been picked up by the HEPA's or can be handled by mopping the booth and wiping down the walls.I have used decon paint with quite a bit of success. The main problem with paint is when you peel it off the wall or whatever then you have a bag of highly radioactive waste to contend with.
Electropolishing is a good way to decon metals, but there probably aren't many people left that could run the electropolishing unit if you could even find one.
Sand blasting is not that good because it is destructive and the blasting grit can be naturally radioactive. Hope some of this info helps.

[IRMWORM]

yeah, but you scared the crap out of Jimmy Winburn!!

[Jr8black3]

Crap you nailed it.. Henry nailed it,, he is old but he is older, I like him,, it's not that hard to do that job

[Mike McFarlin]

Don't crap it up and you won't have to decon!

[MrHazmat]

Electropolishing is a good way to decon metals, but there probably aren't many people left that could run the electropolishing unit if you could even find one.

Ask David, he had one a few years back. Bought it from CN.

[BetaAnt]

This is just in from ANL...New material traps radioactive ions, speeds nuclear cleanup
http://www.homeland1.com/homeland-security-products/decontamination-decon-equipment/articles/881780-new-material-traps-radioactive-ions/

I wonder when this may be employed??

BA 

[Jr8black3]

Dunno anything about decon.. What is it?  Lost here..

[RadConWeasel]

Don't crap it up and you won't have to decon!

Well if they don't crap it up, we wont get the overtime.....

[mkruse]

also to forget to mention the type of material you are trying to decon.. smooth painted metal,plastic,rubber,concrete boron,grease.etc..etc.all have diffrent techniques and all can use diffrent devises to reduce levels.nice topic tho..glad to see someone taking the intuitive to train or give experiences to new deconners.good job oh and don't forget rusty surfaces and to contamination levels all info will help aid the deconner in knowing what technique to use how much material we use,what type of contamination ...fixed,loose, etc and can help them determin how much time and effort needs to be spent on deconning a object.

[spentfuel]

Watch out for freon, electropolishing, or aggressive grit blasting a lot of destructive methods have the possibility to generate mixed wastes dependent upon the material being deconned. Have also seen this with Co2 pellet units.

sf