Decontamination of the HEPA filters: July--September 1977 (open access)

Decontamination of the HEPA filters: July--September 1977

Dissolution parameters (in various reagents) of americium-241 and plutonium-239 oxide mixtures, uranium-233 oxide, neptunium-237 oxide, curium-244, thorium-232 oxide, and plutonium dioxide were determined. The reagents used were various concentrations of NHO/sub 3/-HF-H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/,HNO/sub 3/-(NH/sub 4/)/sub 2/Ce(NO/sub 3/)/sub 6/, HNO/sub 3/-HF, and HNO/sub 3/. Both simulated contaminated HEPA filter media and actual glovebox filter media from spent filters were used. The maximum decontamination factor achieved was 833 using a six-stage dissolution process. Also, plutonium dioxide was fused with sodium carbonate at various elevated temperatures, and a dissolution percentage was determined.
Date: February 20, 1978
Creator: Luthy, Don F. & Lewis, Edward L.
System: The UNT Digital Library