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Title: Hard chemical decontamination of steam generator tube bundles

Conference ·
OSTI ID:113055

The work presented here concerns hard chemical decontamination of steam generator (SG) tube bundles removed from service subsequent to SG replacement operations. The aim of the program is to undertake a SG tube bundle decontamination operation that will facilitate the dismantling of a steam generator removed from service. A high decontamination factor (DF > 1,000) on the Inconel 600 SG tube material and reduced volume of the resulting secondary radwastes are also intended. The proposed decontamination method associates a combination of nitric acid and cerium nitrate, with regeneration of the Ce{sup 3+} into Ce{sup 4+} by injecting ozone into the decontamination solution during the operation. Decontamination is effected at low pH and at room temperature. The activity removed from the SG tube bundles is transferred into the decontamination solution, dried, and immobilized in a solid, coated form for storage. This paper presents the results already obtained during the pilot decontamination of a regenerative heat exchanger at the Tricastin Nuclear Power Plant and the approach that will be applied for decontaminating full-size steam generators in Sweden and France.

OSTI ID:
113055
Report Number(s):
CONF-930906-; ISBN 0-7918-0691-X; TRN: 95:022356
Resource Relation:
Conference: `93 international conference on nuclear waste management and environmental remediation, Prague (Czech Republic), 5-11 Sep 1993; Other Information: PBD: 1993; Related Information: Is Part Of Proceedings of the 1993 international conference on nuclear waste management and environmental remediation. Volume 3: Environmental remediation and environmental management issues; Baschwitz, R.; Kohout, R.; Marek, J.; Richter, P.I.; Slate, S.C. [eds.]; PB: 919 p.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English