IP Library › Granted Patent US 6,973,154
Granted Patent B2
US 6,973,154 · App. 10/000,338 · Granted Dec 6, 2005

Method of chemical decontamination and system therefor

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 6,973,154
App. No.
10/000,338
Granted
Dec 6, 2005
Kind
B2
Abstract

In a chemical decontamination method of chemically decontaminating radioactive nuclides from a metallic material, oxalic acid and hydrazine are injected as a reductive decontaminating agent into water that is in contact with the metallic material. Injection of the hydrazine is stopped after a cation resin arranged in a circulation line connected to the metallic material breaks, and at least the oxalic acid and the hydrazine in the reductive decontaminating agent are decomposed using a decomposing catalyst.

Claims (19)

1. A chemical decontamination method of chemically decontaminating radioactive nuclides from a metallic material contaminated by the radioactive nuclides, the method comprising the steps of:

injecting oxalic acid and hydrazine as a reductive decontaminating agent into water being in contact with the metallic material;

decontaminating the radioactive nuclides using the oxalic acid and hydrazine;

stopping the injecting step of the hydrazine after the hydrazine breaks through a cation resin trapping at least hydrazine and arranged in a circulation line connected to the metallic material; and

decomposing at least the oxalic acid and the hydrazine in the reductive decontaminating agent using a decomposing catalyst after the decontaminating step is ended.

2. A chemical decontamination method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a step of:

introducing said water being in contact with metallic material into said cation resin.

3. A chemical decontamination method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said step of introducing said water being in contact with metallic material into said cation resin is performed prior to said step of stopping the injection of the hydrazine.

4. A chemical decontamination method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said decomposing step is performed after said step of stopping the injection of the hydrazine.

5. A chemical decontamination method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein H 2 O 2 is injected into said water during said decomposing step.

6. A chemical decontamination method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a step of:

cleaning said water after said decomposing step.

7. A chemical decontamination method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a step of:

changing said cation resin after said decomposing step.

8. A chemical decontamination method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said step of injecting the hydrazine is stopped during the decontaminating step.

9. A chemical decontamination method of chemically decontaminating radioactive nuclides from a metallic material contaminated by the radioactive nuclides, the method comprising the steps of:

reductively decontaminating the radioactive nuclides from the metallic material by injecting oxalic acid and hydrazine as a reductive decontaminating agent into a circulation line connected to the metallic material;

stopping the injecting step of the hydrazine after the hydrazine breaks through a cation resin trapping at least hydrazine and arranged in a circulation line connected to the metallic material; and

decomposing at least the oxalic acid and the hydrazine in the reductive decontaminating agent using a decomposing catalyst after the decontaminating step is ended.