Method for decontaminating solid iodine filters

1. A process for decontaminating a solid iodine filter comprising silver iodide, silver iodate and/or physisorbed molecular iodine, which comprises:

placing the filter in contact with an aqueous solution of a reducing agent selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid, ascorbic acid salts, and mixtures thereof, thereby extracting the iodine from the filter and dissolving it in the aqueous solution.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the reducing agent is sodium ascorbate.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solution has a pH of 10 to 14.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the concentration of reducing agent in the aqueous solution is from 0.5 to 2 mol.L −1 .

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the solid iodine filter comprises a porous mineral solid support based on silica or alumina impregnated with silver nitrate.

6. The process according to claim 5 , wherein the iodine filter comprises silver nitrate not converted into silver iodide and/or silver iodate, the filter is subjected beforehand to a treatment to dissolve the silver nitrate in a dilute acidic solution, before carrying out the placing in contact of the filter with the aqueous solution of reducing agent.

7. The process according to claim 6 , wherein the dissolution of the silver present in the filter in an aqueous solution is also performed.

8. The process according to claim 7 , wherein the dissolution of the silver in an aqueous solution other than that of the reducing agent is performed, after having separated the filter from the aqueous solution of reducing agent, by placing the filter thus separated in contact with a silver-dissolving solution.

9. The process according to claim 8 , wherein the silver-dissolving solution is a nitric acid solution with a nitric acid concentration of from 2 to 6 mol.L −1 .

10. The process according to claim 9 , wherein a cycle comprising the steps below is performed at least twice:

a) reductive treatment of the iodine filter with an aqueous solution of the reducing agent, having a pH of from 10 to 14,

b) separation of the filter from the aqueous solution, and

c) dissolution of the silver by immersing the filter separated out in step b) in a nitric acid solution with a nitric acid concentration of from 2 to 6 mol.L −1 .

11. The process according to claim 7 , in which the dissolution of the silver in the aqueous solution of reducing agent is simultaneously performed, and the aqueous solution of reducing agent further comprises a silver-complexing agent.

12. The process according to claim 11 , wherein the silver-complexing agent is potassium cyanide.

13. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solution has an OH − ion concentration of up to 2 mol.L −1 .

14. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solution has an OH − ion concentration of up to 3 mol.L −1 .

15. The process according to claim 9 , wherein a cycle comprising the steps below is performed at least twice:

a) reductive treatment of the iodine filter with an aqueous solution of the reducing agent, having an OH − ion concentration of up to 2 mol.L −1 ,

b) separation of the filter from the aqueous solution, and

c) dissolution of the silver by immersing the filter separated out in step b) in a nitric acid solution with a nitric acid concentration of from 2 to 6 mol.L − .

16. The process according to claim 9 , wherein a cycle comprising the steps below is performed at least twice:

a) reductive treatment of the iodine filter with an aqueous solution of the reducing agent, having an OH − ion concentration of up to 3 mol.L −1 ,

b) separation of the filter from the aqueous solution, and

c) dissolution of the silver by immersing the filter separated out in step b) in a nitric acid solution with a nitric acid concentration of from 2 to 6 mol.L −1 .