A Study of Decontamination Agents for Use in the Yankee Reactor

A study of chemical decontamination agents for possible use in the Yankee Reactor is presented. The necessity for chemical decontamination is discussed along with the properties sought in an ideal cleaning solution. A survey of available decontamination information is presented together with a description of the experimental test progam carried out at the Westinghouse Atomic Power Department in an effort to develop new and improved chemical methods for the removal of oxide scals and radioactive contamination from Yankee reactor primary coolant system components. On the basis of bench scale testing of various cleanup procedures, a method employing basic permanganate and citrate solutions was selected as offering the most promise for successful solution of Yankee primary loop contamination problems. Data are presented concerning the attack rates produced by these reagents on various reactor materials of construction, as is an evaluation of the possibility of caustic embrittlement of stainless steel resulting from the use of the basic permanganate solution. A discussion of future larger scale testing of the proposed decontaminants is also included. (auth