A novel approach to decontamination
UK National Nuclear LaboratoryWe’re developing a novel, cost-effective way of removing the corrosion-resistant surface layer of metal components for quick and easy decontamination during decommissioning.
Prototype of the EASD jet system for cleaning vessel walls.
As our global industries move towards a future of zero waste, approaches to managing all materials as valuable assets are evolving. In the nuclear industry, removing contaminated portions of materials that have reached the end of their useful life will enable the uncontaminated portion to be reused.
High-quality metalwork is used extensively in the nuclear industry, as pipework, storage tanks and more. Over the long timeframes associated with nuclear operations, the surfaces of these metals can become embedded with radionuclides. If these radionuclides are not removed, large volumes of metallic waste must be handled, treated and stored.
Removing this contaminated surface layer can dramatically reduce the amount of waste and means that the vast majority of the metal can be returned into the supply chain for reuse.
As part of NNL's environmental restoration work, we research technologies that can tackle this challenge, and are developing Electrochemically Assisted Surface Decontamination (EASD) with our partners. EASD is an innovative technology that enables decontamination work to be carried out in situ, which enables decommissioning operations to be accelerated and supports sustainable nuclear operations.