Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Confinement of airborne radioactivity. Progress report: January--December 1976

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7301957· OSTI ID:7301957
Service aging studies conducted at the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) show that Type GX-176 carbon has a useful life of at least 30 months as a halogen absorbent in the airborne-activity confinement system for the Savannah River production reactors. The studies also show that elemental iodine retention by this carbon at high temperature (180/sup 0/C) is more a function of the pH of the service-aged carbon than of the length of time in service. Type GX-176 carbon is a 10 x 16 mesh coconut shell charcoal impregnated with potassium iodide and trietyhylenediamine. Studies of new absorbent formulations at SRL show that coal-, coconut-, and wood-base carbons can be impregnated with hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) and combinations of iodine, iodine salts, potassium hydroxide, and phosphate salts to obtain methyl iodide penetration values of less than 1%. Consistent penetration values of less than 0.5% have been obtained with two coal-base carbons when the total iodine and HMTA were added at the 2% level. Three phosphate salts (NaH/sub 2/PO/sub 4/.H/sub 2/O, Na/sub 2/HPO/sub 4/.7H/sub 2/O, and Na/sub 3/PO/sub 4/.12 H/sub 2/O) have been used successfully as pH buffers and ignition retardants. Boric acid was found to be an unsatisfactory ignition retardant.
Research Organization:
Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (USA). Savannah River Lab.
DOE Contract Number:
EY-76-C-09-0001
OSTI ID:
7301957
Report Number(s):
DP-1463
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English