skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: PERFORMANCE OF A POLYMER SEALANT COATING IN AN ARCTIC MARINE ENVIRONMENT.

Conference ·
OSTI ID:777937

The feasibility of using a polymer-based coating, Polibrid 705, to seal concrete and steel surfaces from permanent radioactive contamination in an Arctic marine environment has been successfully demonstrated using a combination of field and laboratory testing. A mobile, self-sufficient spraying device was developed to specifications provided by the Russian Northern Navy and deployed at the RTP Atomflot site, Murmansk, Russia. Demonstration coatings were applied to concrete surfaces exposed to conditions ranging from indoor pedestrian usage to heavy vehicle passage and container handling in a loading dock. A large steel container was also coated with the polymer, filled with solid radwaste, sealed, and left out of doors, exposed to the full annual Arctic weather cycle. The 12 months of field testing gave rise to little degradation of the sealant coating, except for a few chips and gouge marks on the loading bay surface that were readily repaired. Contamination resulting from radwaste handling was easily removed and the surface was not degraded by contact with the decontamination agents. The field tests were accompanied by a series of laboratory qualification tests carried out at a research laboratory in St. Petersburg. The laboratory tests examined a variety of properties, including bond strength between the coating and the substrate, thermal cycling resistance, wear resistance, flammability, and ease of decontamination. The Polibrid 705 coating met all the Russian Navy qualification requirements with the exception of flammability. In this last instance, it was decided to restrict application of the coating to land-based facilities.

Research Organization:
Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Research (ER) (US)
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-98CH10886
OSTI ID:
777937
Report Number(s):
BNL-68134; EW02MM040; R&D Project: NN333; EW02MM040; TRN: US0102180
Resource Relation:
Conference: WASTE MANAGEMENT 2001, TUCSON, AZ (US), 02/25/2001--03/01/2001; Other Information: PBD: 25 Feb 2001
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English