Development of Hydrogel-Based Surface Decontamination Coating
Decontamination Effect Twice as High as Conventional Agents
Radioactive Waste Volume Reduced by Half
[Asia Economy Reporter Junho Hwang] A hydrogel-based surface decontamination coating agent capable of easily and quickly removing cesium, a representative radioactive substance leaked during nuclear accidents, has been developed.
On the 16th, the research team led by Dr. Heeman Yang at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute announced that they developed this technology and published a related research paper in the international academic journal Chemical Engineering Journal.
The research team developed the surface decontamination coating agent by mixing an eco-friendly polymer compound, a special solution with added crosslinking agents, and an existing cesium adsorbent.
When the special solution and cesium adsorbent are sprayed onto a contaminated surface, a hydrogel-type coating agent is formed. Cesium is removed from the surface by ion exchange with ammonium and sodium in the special solution and adheres to the cesium adsorbent.
It can be sprayed and applied using a general liquid spraying device without special equipment, allowing easy and rapid use even in wide-area contaminated regions (at a speed of 1.25㎡ per minute). Furthermore, it demonstrated more than twice the decontamination performance compared to the currently most widely used peelable surface decontamination coating agents.
The research team also succeeded for the first time in the world in separating the special solution and cesium adsorbent of the surface decontamination coating agent by simply washing with water. The cesium adsorbent can be selectively separated by filtration or magnets and disposed of as radioactive waste, while the remaining solution can be treated as general wastewater, thereby drastically reducing the amount of radioactive waste generated. If adsorbents for other radionuclides are used instead of the cesium adsorbent, various radioactive nuclides other than cesium can also be removed.
Dr. Heeman Yang said, "This research result developed a core technology that can rapidly and extensively decontaminate contaminated buildings even in the event of radioactive material leakage accidents," adding, "Since it is easy to handle with liquids or water and reduces the generation of radioactive waste, increasing field applicability, we are promoting technology transfer with the goal of deploying it at actual contamination sites."
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