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UNCLASSIFIED

AECD-3998

UNHID SVAtlS ATOMIC INIf tOY COMMISSION

SUMMARY OF 8URFACE DECONTAMINATION EXPERIENCE AT OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY

By

F. N. Browder

November 1043 through July 1948

Date Declassified: January 5, 1858

Oak Ridge National Lab., Tennessee

Contract No. W-7405-eng-26

Tacknical Information Sorvico, Oak t ide*, Tonnoisoo

1 - 2813

M B T W B I W H Padt.o AbfftlBOt A

8.0 Xatrotaatlcci k

3.0 ny OomUmIom 6

*».o 6

b . l Water tad 8 two 6

H.8 Aelda m l Salta 6

fc*3 Baaea and Baaio O o w p U r ln g Agoata 7

k .k Soqpa aod D ita rv n ti 8

h.5

as1ii 8

H.6 Hmrm 1m Solutions 9

5.0 Surfaoa Baoestmlfiatlae Methods 9

5.1 NotaU 9

9*11 StalnUsa Bteel 9

9.18 NUA Steal 11

5.13 tm A 18

5 .U Sima 18

9.15 Almlmaa 13

5.8

5.21 01am

5 .88 PLMtlca

M 3 Cortai Buxftaoaa

5.8* CcDcrata

^.85 Wood

6.0 Appendix (TabU of CootonU)

7.0 BlUicjnqpfay

II

13

U

U

16

17

Id

813 r>0^

mh ■ mmm. wmmm1*

k

f t o experience a t Oak B id* rational laboratory la deeootealnatlng

equipment and working a m i f r a radloaotirlty bat bean svaaarlted.

2.0 Introduction

a*

tlM mdionctlte contamination of equlpmant occurs a t Oak Bldgs

ra tio n a l laboratory (OHL) aa a re m it of handling radioactive aa ta rla la

la tha p lla tad in the chemleal investigation aad processing of thaaa

aatarlala* tha nost srmann radioactive ooataalnaata which m a t ba re­

moved during tha prooaaa o f deeontmlnatlaa axa urnaiua, plutonium, aad

floaloa products. Tha flaaloa products a r t primarily ruthenium, corlua,

•trou tlea , ooluablua, tlreoalna, saooo, krypton, barium, tellurium , Iodine,

aad tha rare earths. Thaaa alaaaata s a l t alpha, beta, aad p a n radiations,

whloh ara harmful to liv in g organlmu. Tory often cooU»1ns|htn o f a

surface a t OH. Involve# tha whole flaaloa spee t r a , a fa s t which makes

da i mil Mina quit# d if f ic u lt . In tha laboratorlas and damslopaant

areas frequent deoontmalnation hat beta aeoaasary to naka tha working

arena habitable fo r tha p e rso n a l. Tbs objaot of th is report la to

rarlav the dasnatmlnatina experience that has bean falaad. The pre­

sentation of th is Information la baaed oa tha effectiveness of various

reacaate used for deecm talaatloo aad the type of aoifaoe to be

The bulk of radioactive material oootsmlnetlng a surface usually

earn be removed with e a te r . The very small quantities of contaminants

m salnlng a fte r such a tree tam t are usually more tenaeloaely attached

to the surface and must ba dlaplaoad by vlgoroualy contacting th a t with

83 3

>

». ©oaploxlng sgont to reader Usm mm soluble (fc?) or by a c tu a lly rnnoiui}

*» layer of tb» purfore to which U»y flutter* ( k l ) ♦

4«ftr*«* of decootoal&stleo requ ired i t v a r ia n t nad I t generally

s e t t} two fa ito r t? tho dogreo o f personnel exposure th a t U to tw *i<

porlvocod of to r do content net ion, and tho p ro b ab ility o f tt»o «pxo«0 o f tfc*

»xT3 tom loatlon. fo r oxsaplo In a sh ielded a r s e , decoataataa ttee i t c tr r lM

only to the p o in t t i n t v i l l allow s u ff ic ie n t working t i n t to carry cu t a

sp o tif lc yob. Rqulpsemt to be tran sfe rred in to a non-contaninated a re* ,

f.Uvb so the Btalntenonce shop, oust bo <tocontaminated to th» po in t that no

i>*idencs of any ra d io a c tiv ity can be found.

Tba decontrolnotion procedure uoed i t la rge ly d ic ta ted by tbr* rtetwrt

of the n o to ria l to bo A#contaminated and the cheatcal ooaposltlon of the

wonUnlnant. I t lo tho u ltlu a to o b jec t to obtain ths to e irsd docontouinc'

t ln a l a a* abort « time a t possib le , using tho a la lau a aaoont o f nag en tc

and without. dcauglng tho ooateni anted su rface .

Tbtre i t U t t lo ln foreetion av a ilab le vtoiob quiwJ*Ueiively wwaiutter

th e of foot i t one a* o f various deooaUol n o tin g reagents on ▼arltn* typ** of

iw r'V o o , and, therefore*, tho proeedurre reported are baaed on th e prac­

t i c a l erperleooe o f t l * personnel a t Oak Kldge Nat Iona V Laboratory. Tbs

oourcta of tbo e a to r la l roportod a re l i f t e d in tho b ib liography , and

rafornncoi* tc these ecurcei In tho body o f tho report arc ln d lf a to l by

waabora corresponding to tho sour** uxsaber in the b ibliography.

Tho Appendix Includes a p o d a l docontentcatico prooo&ure* used a t

OTOffL fo r c lo th in g , hands, process o e l l s , machine too ls and re h ia le o t o d

p ile exhaust fan s . Coodonsationo o f sev e ra l reports from CKHL groups who

bsvo oxperlaeated with deccntaal&stloo cothoda are a lso included in the

Appendix.

813 804~r ~ t rr ~ n - n i ' r r r i r r T»-ftni r n i f i M» Ti>ir>M|M inow— nnr>ir - r ~ — — - - — — - — — ------------■ — — ■niWia SQW i i a t f l a »>ll>—lll>UiHHi r i r iP T i T 1 r r ‘**“ "* M. - - -— T rW m flOfQin

K * 6 sag

1.0

of the fits years experience «l Oak ftldgt Batloaal

It has been found twit oil inperrioce notarial* auoh a*

atalnlaa* eteel, mild etael, lead, glass, certain plaatlaef and aartala

aurfaae coating* can be deao&taalaated by rtgorou* waehlng with th* proper

reagents. Book decentantnation operation la aarrlad out by atartlag vith

mild raaganta 'water) and Increasing tha sswwrlty of th* traatnsat until

tha danliwd dettr alnatlon ta obtained. Porous aatarlala auch aa bara

coeorate, wood, 'id aona plaatlaa hawa baaa lnpoaalbl* to deeootmlnate

aatlafaatorlly except by tha physical ranowal of tha aoatanlnatad portion*.

MFor neat typaa of etxrfaeea tha Initial daoontaalnatlon atap la

usually a thorough waah with watar at mhltfi a tanpamtura aa possible*

Accaaalbla aurfnaa* ara aarubbad rigorously with brushes for Increased

tfflolancy. Uttar waahaa of la*Ida surfacaa of raaaala ara nada noat

affaotlwa by atem sparging, which prorldaa lnaraaaad tanpamtura end

agitation, 8 taming of hot oalla is affaotlwa for deoontaal rating but

usually results in am i lilt* air aontanl nation. lowewar, in wall oou-

otruotad sails hawing adequate stam supply m l aontrollad ventilation,

thla la not a prdblan (83). (Saa Appendix 6*8%)

*•8 Aild« lUlt.Tha function of said* and salts In dsoott ml rating la to Increase

tha solubility of tha oantmlnante, to omplax tha tontandBnnta, or to

tha ocntanlnatad aurfnaa by oorroalwa action. Vltrie add is tha

813

7

decoetaninatlng agent The acthod of I ts use w r l* i widely

free JO minute to t I t i t 6C# concentration for 3b? ond J09 etaixOeee itM U

(83) to co» K lm ti lmerelon of mild i to t l is lo t n i tr ic n o li a t toon

temperature. The addition of 1$ hydrofluoric cold (80) o r ammlun

flnoelllocte (83) to 10t a itr io cold Increases Itc effectiveness to t

nine Im i m i h i tc oorroelTc notion.

Anccaim blflnorld# (89) in n re ry o ffo jtire general deooatanlnsttng

agent on since, ntnlnlncc c tcnl, end noct p lasticsj nod I t in not greatly

eorroeirt to these nntcrlnlc ebon used in cold, d ilu te (2 » eolation for

chart contnct period*. I t ic particu larly cffcctlTc in rw ir in g plutonlun

or areniun ndnosbed in c ilice .

Bulfuric, phoephorlc , end hydrochloric noidc bare w y l i t t l n use

In deeontsnlaatlaa except nc n Xnct roeort bcceace of th e ir oorroelve

notion an moot no taria l!) bat i t hne been suggested Umt the addition of

orginic Inhibitors to tfceee noidc nltfkt cake than effective for mild

c tccl (83).

Potcccioa pexnaagnetc trentnent followed by codivn b lco lfite to

resort nanganese dioxide (bb) hne been uccd for deconUnlnatlon of s l id

ctncl from plntonlxn. Organic noidc (c i t r ic , oxalic, end ta r ta r ic ) end

cone of th e ir cnltn ham alee been effective prtnnrily because of the ir

oceplexl&g notion fo r decneten 1 nation of corrodible n c te ria le each nc

mild c tcc l, bm cc, end ocnorctc.

gonctincc tre atnent of eorrodible surfaces v ith bases (XsO end

Hn COj) clone hne been satisfactory . Baslo eolations are also need to

follow n i tr ic acid trea tasst on sta in less stee l to m o m eonNnlnsnta

813 OOA

8

M i AlMOliai by the M id , A \*2% ta rta ric M id * # eodlno hydroxide

eolation kaa b u s found to bo Tory i f f w t i n M a follow-up to ftltrlo

odd t i eotaowt (fil), Boole eaatfloxlna ignite eooh o» — no 1m eltiw to

n l e m a il w o ttlo te an need exteaalroly on nearly a l l eurfoeie with

food M M M (89),

Veehlng egttlpeeot with eoap «nd voter ooMtlMt gleet pood re cult*.

The eoeqp in general vie s i QUO* le "Zepco," oold by the Zep Mmafhotaring

Co. of Atlanta, Oe, (39)* This eoap boo e food fbmiag action end fame o

eteble rniUloa with aqpeoua eola t lona of acnplextnj agents. fhle th ree -

te rle tle allow* the decontaminating agent to oom Into lutteote ooatmt

gMh the oootmlneiTto la the eurfaoe moke oe well ae thoee oa the Urge

•urfeee areaa. *tepoo" le widely weed with eltrlo oold, for am p le , la

deeantaalaatlag alld eteel* Boo-foealug Aeteigrata, aueh oe "Steroa,"

( 33) here been weed to decontaminate pointed floore and o lm lw end eteel

exhoaet font la thy CUL Pile area, vhere o toning leegmt le likely to

•pveed olr-boree oouteilna#9Bftu Trleodlun phoepbote le widely weed oa

oomdlble aaterlole end pointed eorfooee (39), (36), I t le particularly

effective la iwaoiiWB gtwaey eaatmlnetlon.

Acetone le weed to deoeataalaate electronic Inctum nt porta (30);

•ad aosaal butyl phoepbate, aoetooe, end ooiboa tetswohlorlde ore weed to

retort octlrlty frao pointed and waned turflaece (H ), (WO*

the m o re l of entire daete boa beta effected by wiping onatcalnotod

eorfaees with Spindle o il (P ram C, Bocony Teona) (19) or by epreylag the

eurfeoee with o eoap eolation of glyeerlne followed by wiping with deep

b.b Boast and h

olothe (W)

w w n

R«SIMNMV*».

9

9.1 datals9.u

8talaUaa steal is gat rally uead ai a aatarlol of construction ditrs n&loMtivi teOwiMtifli It u pw tid bassasa of lit lot affinity for mdioaetlrity and lit low torrotlon rata.

Tha dawntcnl nation of atalnlaca iIm I aurfioM such at table tops, boodc, drat, and o a U artlolcs It aora anally affHtad than that of atainlaaa ataal oall agnip— nt baeaaaa tha activity Urals axa usually loear, and it la poaalbU to attask tha sontaalnatloa directly nalag scrub bnubee ad nope. K K# nitric said solution la usually effcotiva.Whan this la not afftetiva, bowsvsr, further nesting with a 1.890 tartaric acid-90 aodlua hydroxide mixture (80) or a 100 oltrlo aoid-800 ao&lua hydroxide nlxtura (h8) usually ocnplataa tha daocntnlastlon. Ac a last resort, 3 to 8 som\ hydroohiorlo add, vhlch oorrodcc etalnleaa steal, la unad on thtaa sarfhots (89) • Cold ooaoantratad sulfurle add has alao bnen uaad In difficult aaaea (Mi).

til a 007

10

Alpha wrtM latttai (plutoalw snA maim), — n pi—r l ^ so

dnolf b n I nk 1— 4 bp viplna tto —rfl— vlth Spindle Oil (V— C,

So— r Too— ) (1?) or by spraying the — ft— with t & m *tm —

a ix lw t, 4 1 4 i t — root with a 4— cloth, the U tte r pron Saw n o n

to ho preferred ( f t) .

The —etflc r— 1 of oorloo —ft— 44— — bo effected by a

1* lyttiy peroslds-J* nitric told solatia* weft. 0— — t bo t—

to pro—4 f t —pori t l oo of the ps— ft before i t r—fto the re— mo­

tion (SO).

Jetted f r a to ft to to ft to olnlalio the — Itloo repairs* « i to f t -

•ontoslnats proa— U n i to ft— tofts, fe ls t r o t — nlsog with

ftsro4an1not1<ei of o— l oorf— In the soils bos b— efffttles in

I— sine f ts p — i l ooU sstlrity iron grsetsr than 100 l /k r f t — 1-

nsftly 50 nr/br. fhs fallowing is n son# ootllna of tbs procedure i

(1) Soft the stainless stool — eels with enter.

(8) did y 4 t$ n itric sold, bo ll, — aoltaSe f t r 30 nlaufto.

This ta in t— is fal l — 4 bp n sodisn soft— f t bell

far JO nUnfte. Step (8) i s r spss tad ss— i l tf te s # ln-

— • the nitric sold — Ua soft tf to .

(3) fan f t f l f t — — are nsft elth 10* n ltrls sold - %

— a f l f t i 1 Uosft for 30 n tw tss ot rocn f t r —

with so ft soft foil— bp soib— s eiftss so a— .

ss tlr ltp fren crerloes not rsaa— bp tbs eolnticopf ^

-f

A rtalal— atoal a— tloa col— In tba 8} f l i r t FI—t

wlto lA" S 3/9" atoial— hM l cpllt ring. «i» I i iI m Im I i I ftna

1»000 —A r to 373 ar/h r bp aimlading 80# a ltr la M il tor—* i tto

—1— ta r to— «*•» A I H i w Um H i u t t dl— 1—r — to-

i —f 1—t t l f t m 6,000 —A* to too srA * to totoWag toe —ta tla with

aaactatl— —that of feilrto ulA , K f aadl— I9M I 1, K l attoia

- i d , tad at— lag. toto to * - a toatod to 00* fto too to m <tT).

3,1* Mild Btoal

mid atoal t p t o t o —oh aa toad —d povir toola tad a r t—odl—

—hlclaa m ——larly daacwt—1—tod « t (M m 1—11 aptly— t la

to—m d to a hod solution of 10# c itric acid —I % Sap— at— pa—ar,

balll— —tor a hood i f —— ary. to lc treat— t to to ll— i to

nan—lag —to a t if f hn—in a— a tool—to —tor r l— to alatol—

corrosion a— to I— I any titra te f i l l , —Ito — aato —aid—1

alp— ooat—laatloa (39).

tto — toitwatol portl—a of large a gulp— I, i f only a llU y a—-

to— tod (lata to— l/fi I a t contort), — an — 4 —to a 1—g to—lad

too— —lag a U tto r of altrla mold tad Sapea poadtr. t to la tto r la —da

bp addlag 8 gaarto of altrla add and 1 q—f t Eapaa pa—or to a I t p u r l

a fo—. Only can— —ta r la addad to —to toa latoart a— —to r la

addad — *at#ar to iaad dp/ tola aartfblag la — ally aftoatl— aad

la foil— d by toalag d— toa —rfaoec with to t —tor (39).

—— larga s lid atari aptly— t la ooat—laatod to toa a— t of 1 1

a t contort, I t la — arid with a —p —lag a —U r paato aagtototag 8 part*

813 009

»w „ ........... ..... |12V

starte, a p in t note o u U i soda, m i y v l Upco M » povter. A ll

posts i t sllostl to stoat for 19 alaatss) tem a stress r t w of M

voter U vote to vote off tea pasts. This Iw ite r t l i is—lip ssip

offsstlvi te l seastlas* tea to bo laps at te to H im ndlattoo to tte

dsslrsd lstal (39)*

. m u tteol tea tem dsooofealaatsd by briof tasm lm la 6 nonal

ml trio n i l for 1/8 ataato s t $9°C (80), bat teis t e t e t 1* Tory

I t t f y to mte lite r issoatmlntlon aors diffioolt boa— o of tte

uorrmlfi ootloa of mU oa tte artel ra te M . M t l a i alU stool

vltli alU w q a l i asiac a stiff team is a smarter t e M t e t e t e j

ysasstem to tte ass of teste m s a ts .

M3 ta*i t (ML, test is assA for soli floors, shloldla*, sites, mA Antes,

assist site ftisag steaam of aster folloosA bp toteblns site sold Is

tte asasl yroosAms for teimteslastlas Issd sorites*. fydrotelorlo

aslA is proftn aA to altrlo said os Usd bssssss tte altslo teals to

p it sal rcmjm tte load surfaoo (89). tte soasmtntloa of fcpdsatelorlo

sold aood top mis oa tte atepaey of tte matUatlm to Afar ssap tte team.

%v>tauAt (ML, brass is assd as fasteaamf parts ate as —lass a d ttetef

la sorters Hass ostslds ate teteldsd anas* fte asa of brass la*

avam t e n It Is U M y to bosoas eoatealasted Is asoUsd, tesauso brass

ooatoalaates sasllp ate Is dlfflsalt to dsooatealaf (*8). team lastva-

am t ports art tepsd site tottem oa D ia s i or iteted site awry cloth

i f ssmsssiy (90). Zf vsttiag dots not damps tea ip lim it, a w te

oltxats or trlsodlsa ptesptets sa tes usmllp offset dsooataalaatloa of tte

brass surfaoss (96), team tea bam tsocatmlmtsfl bp Imsrston la 6•

813 C18

* — — ------------ w - f| t o mm m m — ----------- 1 ------—

........w i l . — M I M H * ! . •M

normal n i tr ic acid a t &fK for 13 seconds or only long enough fo r a

vigorous reaction to s ta r t (21), t a t th is procedure is likely to ra in

the brae* surface.

3*13 Maalnms

Alnalwn Is used a t OREL as outdorr structural B aterial, p iping, ord

as parts of exhaust fans, inotruaentts, and other oquipaont. V ltr le sold

(10#) is usually effective In deoonteninating a lin lm a, particu larly

when the surface con be bniched vigorously. In fans and ln e tra a n ts

(periscopes, oooltoring ts s t r a e n ts , e tc .) oare suet be ta tea not to

delays other as ta le adyaoent to the aluBlxnx, therefore a s lid e r reagent

such as 10# c i t r ic acid or a synthetic detergent Is used. (Bet Appendix

6 .3 , page 2.)

3.2 Ecn-Wctals

3.21 Class

Host of the ocntasloated glassware a t OREL Is snail enough to be

laasrsed la a decoatsalnatlng reagent. However, sans glass sgulpasnt is

inaccessible in c a lls o r behind shields end sue t, therefore, be deooa-

tsnlDated in place. flksaU glassware Is usually dsoonUnlnsted by tnser-

slon la 60 to 70# n i tr ic sold a t zoos tespen tu re for aevesal days o r

fo r Charter periods a t higher tenperatureo (19). This t r sstae n t, followed

by Insertion In sm ifttrlo*chralc sold nlasnlng solution, Is e ffec tive .

Iaaersloo In aqua regia (3 parts oooo. OCX ♦ 1 part ocas. BBOj) Is also

e ffec tive , particu larly on ground glass surfaces (bb). Elrocnlm end

colubblun adeoxbad on glass have been w aved easily by oxalic sold (lb)

o r by 70# n itr ic acid containing 1# by voI ubo concentrated H? a t room

tesperntura (26).

■Bmwwwwi.'m»r—.. ...... ■ £ Q . .

13

I -I j 11 J 14

Olaee egoipmnt set up in inaccessible m u It usually daeoataalnated* 1 \i

by introducing tbs ftseontmlnatlwg rsagnta Into the sqoujasst tferoogi a m m I pro SM S lias. Water It usually used to Matt equipnsat aftsr tbs application of ttob reagent. kmunim bifluorlde (2*) hold or agitated at tool tngpnrature for l/2 boor bat proved to be a vary effective general dsocntmlnetlcn agent for glass, and it It partloularlly good on tusftott harlot drltd netel (plutoalm or untlua) sad tlllea deposits*Repeated utt on glass dots not appear to dmagw It (29)#

9,22 Plasticslbs plasties la general use at GOO. are laolte, polythene, teflon,

tana, boro teal, neoprene, tygon, end rubber. Tboee noterla&s art used at gaskete, packing, tubing, lastrosnt parts, tad hood vladon. Korotael, neoprene, tygon, and rubber are rery difficult to deecntmlantei sod they are usually dlsoarded than eontealnated.

tbs plasties snob as luolte, polythaas, asm, and teflon la tbs fora of thblag on bn deoontmlneted using procedures alnllar to those used for stainless steal or glass. Vo effort le usually ante to deoca- taninste gaskets or packing. Plastlo lmtwmal parts are usually adjacent to bitsn, ad they are wiped vltb acetone on totems tleauae or. If neoeeaaiy, asik1st with miry doth to amove oontmlnation (SO).

3.23 Coated Surfacestbe aajor coatlnge used to protect porous aad eorvodlbla aorfacee at

CfiRL sis Uolloa paint, Prof coat paint, Liquid fcrrtlope, llaolem, and asphalt tils. ttelloa palat has bam used on ocnorata sail uelln for errors! years ml hae been fomd to be dseoatmlmted fren all radloaatlve natter except ruthealm end Iodine by hoeing with voter, followed by spraying or brushing with stronger reagent# snob as trlaodlm phosphate (33), 9>

813 012

15

am o tn i a itm te (89), 60 wmm\m Mfloorlde (60), n ltr le MU,

cad 3 to 8 M M i hydroohlorlo told (69) • b to M tad othor unfit*

eolmate d tn o m Udloa, tad they a t m m IIm m i i t i m iot-

m inntlon by wiping Utm Vptfxk o ff the w f l a i I t n m t i (89).

Liquid Hmlope (mnfistimofl by l i tU r VtiUhie and OasMngs, Ino.

of V iw ti I* I . ) I m been m i by t b CHI ZfMofi bmlogaont drop

for the past m m 1 norths. This ao ttrla l la a strippehls costing,

whieh baa boaa sprayed o a r TJollon palntoi load and stainless ataol

hoods af ta r pnsrious dsera m i notion of tb m hooda bad aaoaaoltatad

•and blasting tba natal, the Liquid Xmrtlopo has proved to bo ao sy

to deocntnniaete with 100 n itric add, or 90 monlwn c itra te , that I t

la often not nopessary to strip i t (89t« I t atrip* easily aftar tho

aurfaoo baa bean ant a t tho top by a rasor blade.

Floorsi other than oall floors, in tha Iaotopa Powslomat Building,

706-C9 a r t oooorota. i t baa been focal that Pmfooat paint la a oatls-

factory protective sewering for thase coaorate floors, fha ooaersts

floors in th is building vara prepared for palatine by f i r s t detains

then thoroughly with paint m over sad than etching tho ooacrote with

bydroohlorlc sold. Tho f ir s t coat of pmfooat was brushed on wA tho two

later ooets sprayed on. Pmfooat la sprayed oa after tho f i r s t ooat be-

a s m tha solvent tends to dissolve off the f irs t ooat by tha bmah pro-

aadura. Vail w o rt Pmfooat painted floors have been dacontmlnatad by

a factor of 8 by a tingle sopping with tha 60 mnnlwn oltm ta solution (69).

Penkote, n aaren-baaa paint mafnotnrod by tha Poninanla Chcnlcal

Ocapcny, la balng tested on the 0R5L sail wnrtre ocnorata floors a t the

present tine.

8 1 3 f i a

16

LIboIsub v u formerly used extensively a t ORB. fo r laboratory

floor ooverlng, but I t Is gradnally to lag replaced by asphalt t i l s .

The aaln d ifficu lty with linoleum I s i t s tendency to buckle, evade, sad

break sway from concrete. Whoa kept v s l l m a d , linoleum is decontaminated

by gently applying an organic solvent with a cloth to the wax without

spreading the eoatasinatioa (31) • Strong acids sad bases attack llaoleim

sad bsps not satisfactory agents fo r decontaminating i t .

Asphalt t i l e oaa withstand stronger reagent# than lino lem , and

whan properly la id , the t i l e has no oracks because I t flews together to

eeal the jo in ts aa i t la used. I t la fa ir ly easy to replace a o entw ine tad

eeetioa o f ea asphalt t i l s surface also, the t i l e i s kept waxed and the

im i procedure i s used to deoootanlaate I t as i s used on liaoleos.

9.8b Concrete

Concrete is sa extremely poor m aterial to eipoee to radloectlva

oocteml nation beooose o f i t s porosity and i t s high eorroolon ra te .

Costing oonorcte with s sa tisfac to ry f i la eliminates th is characteristic*

Concrete i s such a good s tru c tu ra l m aterial, th a t i t i s wldsly assd a t

ORB* fo r floors, w alls, n i supports fo r egulpmsat. Unpainted or unposted

oosore ts i s extram ly d if f ic u lt to decontaminate without grinding m y

the aurfmos (a temasso machine has bean angpated to lea s t a m a th sur­

face a f te r grinding). Host rccgnrts toorrofle the surface gad drive the

eoatmtiantlon deeper in to tb s concrete (h i) , th is phmammon was lUms-

tra ted in July 19h3 wham p art o f the ORB. Rami morts floor was chipped to

remove surface oonUninatlcn, «B i t vac found th a t large areas of the

f lo o r, whloh had beam deoomtnalnated repeatedly osar a number of years

with n i tr ic sold, were ocmtanlneted ocnpletely through the six-inch con-

ore te f lo o r. Approximately 7% of tbs working area floor had te be

massed entirely . 813 '16

-wnninmw m

Washing bars w h i H floors with m p tad water using a floor-

washing mahlne, which sucks the waah water off the floor, has boon

moderately smeoetsful (fiB). Scrubbing bars oooerste with loa-Aml

pasta using a s t i f f brush baa also boon oodcrutoly auoeessful (bk),

C ltrle add , trlsodlxm phosphate, ssA sodlua osxboaata hast beaa usad

with sobs SSSOiSS (36), To avoid spreading losslisad hot spot*, ah*

sorbent cotton pads a rt placed over tbs oontwalnatad spot sod the

daooatMlnation reagent Is ponrad over tbs pads. Oars is taken not to

eanpletoly saturate tha pads to avoid dripping (29).

5.29 H224Wood la probably tha noet difficult ecoaon material to teoootanlnate

be causa of lta porosity. Tbs use of wood where tbara Is likelihood of

co&Ualnatlcii is avoided. Sanding or planing is about the only effective

way to x m e f f eontaBlnatlon from wood (39). than those naohaaloal Methods

are not effective, tha wood is discarded.

September 16, 19W

-IB81?

-% * -S£ %

.

*

6.0 kxxtooAlx

CcatMBU

6a

6*8 Call D»oa>t«iaftUtt

6*3 Til* T*a Deooatanlnatlon

6 a OBBL Spoolal Deoflotoalnatloa Berrioe

6.3 Poccntanlnation of Clothing* The 0ML Laaadry

6.6 Band Decontamination

8 1 3 n «

■

Appendix

19

6a ocmmmm <w m*mm m nxmmm n mmnm mxmmwnat

While snob deoontnilaatlon experieooe i t QOL has been gained by tri&l

•ad error astbods used by Noh group as tbs m o n tl t j to dsooatmliiitt

facilities «b& a^aipasot arose# some detailed experiments la desootaainatfoo

b aa boat perfused. t te reports of tbs group vblcfe perfiomsd tb w

experiments a r t mi— rlied tolar.

6.11 tfflflffft

Decontamination astbods for 25-12 stainless steel prooess equip­

ment v m developed which gave decontamination factors (DJT.) of the

order of 100 to 1000 without appreciable oorroelon# on& which consisted

t ln l y of treetaant with nltrlo sold followed by eodltn hydroxide# pre­

ferably with sodium tartrate added. The tartrate addition to eodltn

hydroxide gore n four fold lnoreaeo In DJT. on ecae smaplee to t no ap­

preciable Increase on others. Other addition egente (citrate# oxalate,

borax# nm nitol, glycerine) foiled to lnerenee the D#f. they eleo

failed when need without sodium hydroxide. The emetic pine tartrate

woe especially effective on n itric acid Insoluble ooutmlnatlon.

Samples of 25-12 stainless steel which tod been contaminated by

imersloo In tbe stml-woibs catch tahk or neutraliser were almost com­

pletely decontaminated by:

1. Tmarslrn In 35 to 60Jt n ltrlo odd at 65°C for l/2 hoar fol-»*

loved by either

2. (a) Xtaorolcn In 5 to 20)1 eodlun hydroxide eolation eontalnlng

1 l/b< flodlta ta rtra te n t 6fiC for l/fi hoar or

rl7613

Appendix20

(b) Smmrelon la 1C# nitric acid plat 1# hydrofluoric acid at root twpmtora for 1/2 boor or

(e) lhmsvlnn la 10# ZzO(VO )g pins % nitric acid for 1/2 hour. Those trrntnente p m D*t«'e of 5 to SO for Stop l. — i 20 to 300 for Step 2, giving overall factors of 200 to 2000. ft* three "Stop 2” treat— rte are listed la order of decreasing effectiveness. Higher tenperm tores of nitric-hydrofluoric sold solutions caused pitting of

e

velds red other Indications of emesis* oorroelon..7a n 25-12 Ionisation Chamber used to monitor pleat off-gas, a

blast of atmoephsrlo pressure stem raoortd 20# of the activity after 1 j/b hours. This vas inoreoeed to 50# reacted by a 15 minute blast or 120 p.s.l. (172%) steon. the — saining activity vas completely removed after 10 minutes la 6b (20#) hydrochloric sold at 65qC# tat such treatment Is veiy corrosive to 25-12 stainless steel.

The pxooodure normally to be reeoamended for decontamination of Ptalnleoa Steel process equipment consisted of treatment with 35# to Cot >>03 at 6 C. or higher for one or two hours, to dissolve residues and BBO3-soluble activity, followed by 5# 2*02 containing 1 l/b# sodium tartrate for an hour at 65°C or higher, for any prooeee vessel that oootalned ceric phosphate scavenger, 1-2# HgOg was added to the 2BO3 wash to reduoe the ceric to the soluble etreue phosphate. To prevent decomposition of the peroxide before It reached the oonUmlnated vessel, the BgOg was added directly to etch vessel involved, as 30# HgOg solution,Juot before the HSO3 solution was charged.

'

813 nis

- « . . . * % * > ■ * *

V

Appendix

21

6.12 lead

WMhia* the inside of the lend shield fo r the 706-A Building bond

counter with 6V(3$) B8O3 a t 72% fo r a few nlsotee reduced the back­

ground M tlT itjr to i t s o rig ina l rains.

Oleeewere, by standard procedure, has been dsoontmlnateft by le ttin g

i t soak in 60 - 70# n ltr lo aslft a t roan temperature fo r periods op to

several days In length o r fo r short periods In hot BBO y . Oxalate •

oralio so ld treatment proved ineffective. Of o ther organic and in*

organic acids tried only HF v u effective , and i t Is too oom elve for

use.

6.1b Concrete

Concrete over whloh p lan t na ta l waste had trick led frcn a leak In

the C ell 1 ampler was flushed fo r long periods with water and washed

onoe w ith d ila te HBO3, with no appreciable reduction In activ ity .

Chips of eonteninated concrete frcn plant C ell 2 were Aeoootealnated

by lees then e factor of two a f te r five nlnutee hard d iree t water spray

and th ree hours in running water.«

6.19 Xnetrments (Brest and Steel)

Satisfactory decoatml nation of oertaln brass end stee l lnetnncnts

without excessive destruction of the surface* was obtained by hmerelon

of the p a rts separately in 6S HHO3 a t 69°C. Zaeerslan tine was 1-2

minutes fo r the stee l p a rts , end only long enough fo r rigorous reaction

to be In itia te d , probably 9*1? seconds, fo r th s b rass ones. Tbs in­

su lators were seabed with eastern tetrachloride only. ,

813 ! ' ! ' •

i

Appendix

22

6.16 PevelongMCt of Vater-Colrible Cell Paints

81nee bob* of the methods that had bean triad for decontamination of cauorete eat effective, other then mechanical removal of the eurfaot,

the experimental program included the developaeot of vatar-eoUbl* palxtte

for appllomtloQ to the oonerate and exposed metal surfaces in the cells,

ao theca curfaces could be deoontcsinated vhea necessary by a vatar vmeh

from the call sprays. Daocntanlnation tests with active Clinton plant

solutions on four foot by four foot Uellan-pelated panels shewed that the

application of four to six spray coats of Tapo0esth«CeClg solution before contamination, vith subsequent vashlng vith two gallons of odd eater per

square foot of surfhos, gave essentially complete dsoontcninatlon of the

panels - l.a.f down to 1 mr./br. or less at three Indies dictanoe. The

actual deeontiii nation faotora obtained depended prlaarlly on the eotlv-

ltiea of the centalnat.lng solujijnfl applied. With the most active

solnfUn need (Clinton plant dissolver solution, coded U M)a dsoon-

tent nation factor of 113 van obtained, compared to 15 obtained by

vashlag the uncoatad Uollm surface.

Tapoganth, a taplooa starch dextrine, nixed vitl: CaClg nod % glycerine

vac eatlefactory for long periods at aero and up to about 71 to 8 ^ re­

lative hxl4 t7i at or above vhloh It abeocted sufficient aolsture fren the air to ran off tlthln 8 M 8 hours, fasts on the fapogm th-CoClg paint,

without glycerine, vara satisfactory for the hlgh-kanidity conditions pre-

vailing In .tbs Clinton plant oall t, and for intermediate hnaldltiae but

flaked off vlthin 2b hours at 0-10 or £0|t relative huaidlty In the deeol-

cator and In previous outdoor teste. Tests with intermediate Mounts of

glycerine, end vith other plnstlelsors, looked Less attractive.

♦The reports m m m r1.«ed are CV 1617, CV 1B69, and Cl 2203 on Problem Assign­ment 2A2-Z21AB, "Bgalpeent Decontamination." The work vis done by I.I. damn, D.C. Ovexholt, I.J. Bober, V.l. end H. D. Peterson during Hey toDeoshber, 19W.

Appendix

2S6.8 GHX DECOIEAKIBATIOS*

the Inside dimensions of the two main oelle In the Separations Bolldiag (706-0) Celle "A" end 1," m 10's »• s 89' ood 10' x 15’ x W* respectively. The veils ere of ocosiete severed with Uellon paint to promt absorption of activity. the floors end sage are covered with sheet lead.

Cell A ooateine six stainless steel process teaks ranging in capa­city fra 115 to 850 gallons. Three of these vessels stead on concrete pads on the cell floor end the other three ere suspended on black iron beams which are covered with tJcilcn paint to prevent corrosion during cell decontamination. There axe tra off-gas lines and too scrubbers In this oell. These off-gas lines hasp all vessels in both cells wider vacuum at ell tines to prevent radioactive gases fra escaping Into the building atmosphere.

Cell B contains lb vessels. Vive of these ere the naln stainless steal process vessels which vary in capacity fra kk to 80 liters. The other nine vessels lnolmds three 8*7 liter stainless steel stationary pipettes, two 3 liter movable pipettes, one 5 liter Baetelloy "C” trans­fer vew*l, two 6.5 liter stainless steel transfer vessels and oas 2.8 liter Baetelloy C sampling vessel. All equipment In this oell le mounted on painted bleok Iron beano.

To bring down the radiation levels to e point low enough to pemlt safe entrance to a oell, it is necessary to deoonteclnete practically every eurfaoe in the sell. This lacla&es the inside and outside of the vessels, the off-gas lira, transfer Unas, rails, bams, and floor. The length of time and manpower required to cerate the decontamination of e

813 OtS

w a r n

Appendix

2k

Mil rarlee with the amount snd nature of the wrt required In the coll. In the posti ao* to weeks of eoatlnuoms decontm&inatlon

vlth three a m to a shift vu adequate to gist a wotting tint varying

from 30 second* to several hours depending on 11b location la tha ooll.\

Working tlaas are based at an exposure of 50 mr par day for cell Jobs

because of the existence of to ainy "betas" of nativity higher Man

general background.

6.21 Vessel end transfer Line Poccntmsl nation

the Insides of all vessels, transfer lines, and funnels are first

rinsed with water several times to m o t s the bull of the loose con­

tent nation. these rinses ere then followed by several cycles of nitric

sold which ass In turn followed by eyelet of soda ash solution.

The nitric acid cycle consists of adding the nitric to one of the

vessels i boiling (by heating with Jacket stem) for approximately 30

minutes, cooling to Jetting temperature, Jetting a small portion througi

each of the transfer lines leading out of the vessel, sad Jetting it to

mother vessel where the process Is repeated. When the cycle la oampleted

through every vessel, the sold Is stored In the neutralising tank.

the soda ash solution cycles are handled In the seme mmner end the

waste eolation Is Jutted Into the nitric acid, this neutralises the acid

so that the combined waste can then be transferred to the tank farm.

The strength of the sold used varies from % to 600. Ho general

optimum strength has been determined. Strong nitric it not usually used

In the deoonUmlnatlon of the large tanks in Cell A, since the large

capacities would require handling of extremely large quantities of the

strong sold. . The soda ash is used In 130 solution. (122

«

813

Appendix

25

The cycle# of % raon lua flnoellleate plus 10)1 n i tr ic cold which

follow the soda cycles are carried out In o la lla r manner, but tbs

solution Is not bested a t any time. This Is to prerent excess ire cor- -

rosloQ of the vessels by the solution. Ins toad of heating) the solu­

tion le agitated by mechanical ag ita to rs or a ir spargers fo r l /2 hour

periods. These cycles are again followed by soda ash as previously

described) tad the vasts Is neutralised and disposed of.

A to ta l of 10 to 15 cycles of n i tr ic acid and cnmoalum fluosillcate

Is usually su ffic ien t to remove p ractically a l l contamination from the ■

exposed surfaces on the In terio r of vessels. These treatm ents, however)

do not thoroughly remove the eoatanlnatlon lodged la the crerlees end

flanges on the tops of the vessels so that, other methods must be employed.

The most effective method found thus fa r has been thorough stemming of

the vessels. This prooedurs is described below,

6.22 Decontamination of Movable Pipettes

The contamination la these vessels is m oved by repeated washings

using n itr ic acid and 50 n itr ic plus 100 ammonium flu o slH ea ts . The

pipette is f i l l e d to sppxexlaately two-thlrAe capacity and with the

vacuum on, the solution le sparged fa r 15 minute periods. A to ta l of

10 to 15 wastes Is usually sufficien t to m ove most o f the contamination.

6teaming of these pipettes has bean found l^ n s c tlo a l teosuse the

two openings to these vessels s i t very smell and t te smell mbount of

stems asst to the pipettes is condensed In t te lines before I t g its to

t te pipettes end the condensate drains out of the vessels without f ill in g

than.

81 3 i 23

Append!*

26

6.23 Decontamination of Stationary Pipettes

These pipettes can b t completely decontaminated by s tem . Tha

•team I 0 introduced into the p ipette through t in pressure-vacuum line

a t tha control panel board, th is steaming prococa i» continued for

about 16 hours.

6.24 losing and 8teanlra of Calla

While tha decontamination of tha vessels la In progress, frequent

reading of the radiation a t tha c e ll entrance era taken. As scon as

tha radiation level a t tha entranoe penalta several ceoonda working

tin s , a f i re hoae la sat up on an Iron stand and a l l tha equipment and

walla of the c a ll are thoroughly hosed down to a point where further

hosing f a l ls to bring dovn the radiation level appreciably. This

usually takes one day, and tha radiation a t tha c e ll entranoe tfien

tha hosing la completed is usually low enough to permit several minutes

working tin e a t that point.

Although stesalng of the c e ll can remove contamination where

almost every other method nay f a i l , i t should be carried out only

a fte r the bulk of contamination Is m oved by nethods previously

described. Failure to do th is may resu lt in high building a ir

contamination.

Before turning on the stasia, a l l the walls and equipment are

wetted with a hose and a heavy layer of soda ash le thrown over a l l the

equipment, beams, floor, end valla with e sandblaster. The c e ll venti­

lation and vessel off-gas lines ere tu n ed o ff. With the vessels empty,

a l l steam Je ts in the ca ll are turned an. The steam escapee througi the

tops of the teaks and condenses cm a l l surfaces In the c e l l , dissolves81 a did*

W W W ***

Appendix

27

the BOdi ash and bathes a l l these surfaces with a hot soda ash solution*

To decontaminate the off-gas l ia s and scrubber* steea is Introduced in to

the scrubber through the solution addition lin e a t the control board. Tbs

steaming la continued fo r 3 o r k hoars a f te r which the oell la thoroughly

hosed down.

This process le repeated* using soda ash o r c i t r ic acid u n til I t

becomes ineffective.

When the radiation levels in the ce ll permit en trances far Inside

the^oell, stemi lines are Inserted into the opening sap lin g vessel end

open funnels and stems i s blown into these fo r several hours u n til i t s

effectiveness la negligible.

6.83 Acid Bprar

In general* the methods described above are su fficien t to decon-

tmalnate the ce lls to levels low enough to permit some maintenance work.

I f these methods f a l l to re su lt in adequate working time* I t nay be

necessary to spray week n i tr ic acid or weak hydrochloric sold over the

local "hot spots" in the c e ll Where the work must be dons, these sprays*are followed by thorough hosing down with water.

8praying acid over the oell* although sometimes necessary* usually

resu lts in terns fcmagi to beam* floors and o thsr equipment mads of

m aterials o tte r than sta in less stee l.

Tbs covering of v a ils and equipment with a water soluble paint to

fa c i l i ta te removal of contamination inside the c e ll wss found Impractical

in th is particular process. This was due to th t fee t that atssm escaping

from the process lines into the oell ceased tbs paint to soften end drip

o ff the eel ling into the process vessels.81? (*2&

V

Appendix

28

6.27 too wart Control

Daring the tint several de con teal nations of the sails, all yorking

tins in ths calls vara based on 100 ar dally exposure (plant tolerance)

and no Unit vas placed on the intensity of radiation to whleh a person

vas exposed. Doe to ths noraal lnscooraeiea la ths sarvsjs nods, the

great variation in radiation intensities in the calls* and loaetiaes

ths very high radiation levels» many overexposure reports free the

Ssalth Physics Department vers received. To minimise ths possibility

of sore overexposure0, ths following building rules have been sst up

sad followed with success:

(1) Bo pert of tbs body Is to be expoeed to radiation greater then

6 R/hr.

(8) All working tine calculations are to bs based on s total

dally exposure of 90 nr.

Calculation of working tine bated on "doseaetsr'' readings was

found Impractical due to ths Inaccuracy of ths instruments and the

inconvenience in veering then.

•This aaterlal is a condensation of report NotiT-209 Experience in Equipment and Building Decontamination” by B.J. Witkovski, Bovenber 19# 19*»6.

Append!*

29

6.3 PJV FAH EBORMCmiOB*

Decontamination o f the pile ooollng fans e one le ts of reducing the

radiation levels inside sad outside the fan housing in order to permit

maintenance personnel su ffic ien t verting tin e to serrloe and repair the

fans. Radiation up to 500 n r/h r can he to lerated in the working area,

althougi lover levels are always deal ruble, d l l personnel sorting on

fan decontamination must be equipped v ith core r a i ls , cape, rubbers,

safety goggles or face shields, gloves, pocket electros copse, radiation

meters, and flha badges. Since radiation levels during most of the work

are rela tively high, a close check must be kept of each man's time In the

radiation fie ld to preven t overexposure.

Every e ffo rt Is msde during a fan decontamination to prevent oontaad-

natlng the fan houoo. Portable board-walks are laid from the fan houao

door to the fan c e ll door and then covered v ith heavy absorbent paper.

Board-walks are a lso la id inside the fan c e l l . Pertcnaal are instructed

to wear overshoes only while la the oe ll and to remove then when leaving

the oell*.

To aid the decontamination, a spray system consisting of a stems

Jet located outside the fan c e ll, a 1 l/2" rubber hose, and sn eleven

foot I r a oolndult v ith ne ttle la connected together v ith Vestlagicuee

couplings. The Je t is fed f r a a 50 gallon can containing the deecn-

tmainatlng reagents.

When a l l of the preliminaries are completed, the fan io th a t down,

the disconnects opened, end the fen tagged out. The fen danger la opened

u n til the ro tor la turning several hundred r.p*m. backward in the a ir

s tre ss of the othar fan. A hose f r a the a teen Jet is connected to the

Appendix

30

coupling cd the center Inspection piste of the fin, and s hot solution

of non-fooing detergent (All) la jetted Into the rotor eangpnrtmnt. One

pint of All per 50 gallons of water le a canon mixture. About four eons of solution ere jetted into the homing while the fen diaper le adjusted

to Maintain a backward speed of the rotor of 800 to 300 r.p.a. After

one hour, another oaa of detergent solution la added. After another

half hour of chaining» the drain valve under the housing is opened, the

solution drained off, and the rotor rinsed with clear water. All of

this procedure except connecting the hoe# to the fan Inspection plate

la perform* outside the fan call. This procedure recently reduced the

radiation through the easier Inspection plate from 350 wat/hr to IkO nr/hr.

After the rotor hae been rinsed, thd deeper is closed and both eeal

pita are filled with water. Maintenance personnel then rmove all three

Inspection plate# fron the fen housing, and decontamination of this

housing le started using a hot tri sodium phosphate solution delivered

through the spray system. Citric acid la used to spray the rotor, since

It is alunlnua and is injured by alkaline solutions. Usually several

hours are required to w k over the rotor end ell surfaceo Inside the ton

housing* Bspeololly ormtmlnated spots an the housing can be removed by

applying a water paste of caustic and starch with long basiled nope and

washing off after five to ten atoxtes. Occasionally a long handled

brush or scraper is required to remove otubborn hot spots.

When the rotor end fan housing have been deccntmlnated to as low

a level as practical, Maintenance personnel remove the quadrant and

rotor to the concrete pad outside the fan house. Mere additional 4e-

oontaainatlon m y be necessary to permit millwrights to replace the bear­

ings . This la done by scrubbing with stiff brushes using 10$ citric acid.

813

Appendix

31After the fan has teen roesteobled, all tha tools mat ha oleaned

and stored# the Absorbent paper rolled up and placed In cons for dis­posal, and the board-walks cleaned and stored# A ©complete survey Is then aade of the cell, fen home, oonorete pad, and annex) and the en­tire working area is dsoontmincrted*"This information was Obtained free a SMBonndua by D.I. Boltgraf of the QGH Operations Division* The — loraodun was written to supply information for this report*

si a

twmrntm- . f t

_ I

Appendix

32

6.H OOtL SPECIAL OBCOVC/JOSMtlOlf 8OTICJ*

At CUL a opeeial area la provided fo r decontaminating too ls,

aeehlnery, furniture, end vehicles. The f a c i l i t ie s consist of a

concrete earthing pad and a w a l l building containing a hood fo r boiling

small iteoa in daocnUnlsmtlng solutions. The oooerete pad, thick la

uaod fo r eashlng large maohlnes and vehicles (Mostly A.I.C. trucks),

Is about 10'x29' with a d rain In the center leading to the easts

disposal system.

Decontamination Is accomplished so follows t

1 . Tools and ansll machine parts

A. Articles reading over 50 mr/hr are boiled In vats containing

lOjt c i t r ic so ld and Pepoo soap powder u n til o alnliaan

activ ity leading la readied) than they are scrubbed with a

brush end rlnaad.

D. Mildly contaminated artlo les are soaked and scrubbed with

the sane solution aa that used In A*, but the temperature

la kept below the boiling point. A ll a rtlo les are carefully

rinsed to preven t corrosion and to remove any c itra te film .

2. V<rgo Machines mad Vehicles

Iqpilpaeat of th is type Is wetted thoroughly with a spray of water

to hold down dust before any treatment la given.

A. Equipment reading over 50 n r/h r la —earsd vith a water pasts

containing 1 gallon flake caustic soda, 1 quart starch, and

1 pint Zepco coop powder In a 12 quart bucket. The paeto Is

smeared on the contaminated surfaces with a sop and allowed

813 n;ie

Appendix33

to stood for 1$ minutes. Then a strong strut* of hot water

Is need to sash the paste off tbo eurfaoeo. Hltrio sold

vss formerly used* tot the osustlo paste ms found to be

s superior decontcodnation agent and far leas carrooive

to steel. Bods ash, Zepcalte, sad several other sashing

powders have not proved to be as effective as the Sepco.

D. Mildly contaminated large equipment Is scrubbed with a long

handled bruoh using 2 quarts citric oold end one quart Zepco

powder In a 12 quart buoket. Only enough water la sided to

form a heavy lather. More water is added si the lather Is

need up*

The above procedures have rooted to be the best tried to date and

accomplish thorough da contamination with little difficulty. Most of the

articles treated axe steel and other corrodible netals. Except In oesoo

of prolonged boiling, the above procedures cause little corrosion.

The operator who does all of the decontsnlnatlng in this special

area wears a face shield, * overalls, a rubber apron, rubber knee boots,

and rubber gloves while working.

•This tnforwatlon was obtained by personal cduunlcatlcn with 0. Prince and B.r. Bash of the CRHL Mechanical Department, Special Decontamination Service.

81 3 ft M

Appendix

34

6.9 EBcamuannoi or clothed: tub obhl iauotrt*

' the wishing of OUL-furnished clothing worn In the Restricted Area

to handled separately f r a that exf other OBL-fumiahed clothing, to

prevent spreading of contamination. Clothing known to ho ©antanlnatod

Is collected freo the change houses separately from other Restricted

Area clothing, h u t a l l Bestrloted Area Clothing la monitored by Health

Phyvloa Division surveyors when I t arrives a t the laundry. This cloth­

ing la checked v ith 0-M tube probes fo r beta ard gnaa a c tiv ity end with

a Poppy fo r alpha. All clothing In ony lumper having beta end g— m

reading of 900 counts per slaute o r over or any detectable alpha activ ity

is sent througi a "hot" cycle*

The equipment used fo r the 'h a t" cycle is constructed of stalnlesa

steel and coca la ta of the following:

Two 36"*36" washers with 75# dry weight capacity each,

One 56"x42" washer with 150# dry weight capacity,

Two 17" ei t raotors with 85# dry weight capacity each,

One 50" extractor with 75# dry weight capacity,

four driers with 80# per basket capacity.

the ho t cycle for deoaatnxlnKtlng coveralls, trousers, ah lrts, towels,

•oaks, cotton gloves, and laundry bags la aa follows:

1. Contaminated clothing la loaded Into a washer and wetted by a four

2. three percent c itr ic acid la added to tbs washer, heated to

and agitated with the d o ttin g fo r eight minutes before i t is drained.

3. Igepal (an acid-base soap) la added to the washer la the ra tio of%

cne pound of soap per tweaty-five pounds of clothing, the wisher la

Una f i l le d with water heated to lhO°F to l60°T and the contents arefit;* r a ?

Appendix , .

35

agitated fo r e lg it nlxxuteo before tbe liquid I t dru m o ff.

4. Tbe p lo tting 1b tinned four tinea fo r four olnatea each v ith voter

a t l40°f to ISO**.

The e n tire cycle 1b repeated using one-half q o n t l t le e of acid and soap.

After rin sing four tinea v ith cold ea ter, the clothing le traneferred

to ea ex trac to r, vhldi rcctoves the balk of tbe eater* Then the clothing

le dried and monitored fo r a c tiv ity , flaeh goxnent vLleh made 500 beta

and gw aa oounte per ninute or any deteotlble alpha n a tiv ity Is eent

through the "hot" cycle a seecnd tin e . Clothing la burled I f i t reo&lno

contaminated above the a*ores»ntioned toleroaoec a f te r i t hoe been eent

througi the "hot" cycle three t in e s .

The "hot" cycle fo r rrfbber clothing (gloves, overshoes, end odd

suite) la the ease ao th a t fo r cotton clothing except the temperature

is never aver 150^T.

U ntil March, 19^5 clothing vme w iled In Sf> acetic sold, but I t

n o found th a t jfi c itr ic a d d Is mare effective than acetic and le not

aa destructive to the clothing.

*Thle information vac obtained by personal cocswml cation v ith C.L. Taylor o f the ceSL laundry.

81? 0.33

k M teft— tenbteft k i t U provlSod lft oast w n ty affine ,

tiitcfe tb* C8CEL Roalth flQvtM U v ti ln i mIbUSm li imI Ubovdoi7 cud

pfok w llo i k i l U t u 1» tea k f t r l« H 4 draft. D a M U » la | pr raaatera « <

M M rlM t by u . t e a of tba ftaaltfc Fbyaloa Dinaion tad U ao* tea

official pcowftga reonmmlai by tba Vaalte flqralaa Dlrlalan. fhla

H W l O 1ft p wb l 1ft m l band teooataarlaat lflft k i t .

fTTPoatoti

1. Obtain band count oa land and foot Counter. I f paoslbla, locate

specific bot spot# with probe.

t . bank teorou^tUy with soap and en ter nates ft anrsical ecrcb. be-

pant Stay 1. I f tolataooa la imsadad, peooaad with Stay 3*

Fear a lib e ra l quantity of cilematr oa i n band*, brush, and

v ltk Stay I I f rasalte rm atn tba t a n .

I . MolfUa head* with aatmr, apply c itr ic asld asyatala n d rub

fo r nsvaswA nlaatea, tbao rlnne and foliov with a aoap and water

waab. Chech results and procaad with Step 3 i f anaaaaary *

3. Apply SHaO| esyatala on notatanad banda. M l Into akin tborou^ly.

f la m tba haada. Sbaka c i t r ic acid crystals la to tba pain and

ads tbowwqbly with tba ObD^. I f banda baooaa warn* rtaaa

lamed la tely with tepid water followed by a aoap aerub and water

rlnaa. Tba ObC| s ta la cm ba mooted with MBO3.

6. I f a l l tba above natboda f a i l a f te r a f a i r t r i a l o f each, aecd

tba anployaa to tba Saalte Division.

follow with a soap and fapaa t Step 1. f r aeial

0 3 j -

w*M*?*- m^****^-' *

o. 0m l U M il lo y o i io m i. Zt 1« aot to bi m d w k r my c lr-

4. fo r m a i n K a n «oloklr oater n ra io f m to r H U m i by a

l . Clo— r s. Too — j — 1 e ltr lo to ld J m

•* Sophoaito (poM&a too — -porn* KHoO* Jor*

b. I— nfcl— (poioUimd — r )5 . too bom of — r

t . Llfttid ooop «l 0m bottin

4- 014 Dutch CUoui o t ? . UDOlib

8. foor oc rabbin* bmoi— 6. Ooo p a ir of omylaftl |lov«t

8t ; t r;*5

*

ft 1 3 i :<H

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