Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C11—ANIMAL OR VEGETABLE OILS, FATS, FATTY SUBSTANCES OR WAXES; FATTY ACIDS THEREFROM; DETERGENTS; CANDLES
  • C11D—DETERGENT COMPOSITIONS; USE OF SINGLE SUBSTANCES AS DETERGENTS; SOAP OR SOAP-MAKING; RESIN SOAPS; RECOVERY OF GLYCEROL
  • C11D3/00—Other compounding ingredients of detergent compositions covered in group C11D1/00
  • C11D3/16—Organic compounds
  • C11D3/36—Organic compounds containing phosphorus
  • C11D3/364—Organic compounds containing phosphorus containing nitrogen

Definitions

• ABSTRACT Foreign Application Priority A process for decontaminating radioactive objects by washing n 1 them in a solution of a-amino (alkane-phosphonic) acid and a Aug 1967 France 1 8019 tensio-active substance that has been neutralized. to a pH from 7 to 7.5 and diluted to a 10 percent concentration.
• the wash lll ..134/26, 84/432682 effluents are decontaminated y adding to the effluents sum ⁇ 58]
• Fie'ld 210/58 cient calcium-ions to displace the rare earths and strontium from their complexes with a-amino (alkane-phosphonic) acid 7 and thereafter scrubbing.
• our process utilizes the complexing properties of a-amino (alkane-phosphonic) acids, and, in particular, those amino-tri (methane-phosphonic) acids produced by Monsanto Chemical Company under thetrademark Dequest.” These acids form complexes with ions having a valence equal to or greater than 2. These complexes are stable in solutions which are slightly acidic, neutral, or alkaline; yet, the complexes are sufficiently labile so that the radioactive elements may be displaced from them, for example, by an excess of precipitating agent.
• various objects may be decontaminated by washing them with a solution at a temperature between 60 and 90 C, of a mixture of a tensio-active substance and a nearly neutral sodium salt of an a-amino (alkanephosphonic) acid in water, preferably deionized water.
• the tensio-active substance is preferably an entirely biodegradable, for example, a heavy alcohol having a straight oxyethylated chain.
• the wash effluents are scrubbed by coprecipitation or by treatment of zeolites after calcium-ions have been added to the effluents.
• the tensio-active substances are preferably biodegradable products such as oxyethylation products of the heavy straight chain alcohols, for example, Plurafacs. Alcohol sulfates and sulfonates also give good results. However, tensio-active substances that are not biodegradable, or only partially so, may be used.
• alkylaryl sulfates or sulfonates, oxyethylated derivatives of polypropylene glycol, such as Emkalyx-Pluraonics, oxyethylated alkyl-phenols and oxyethylated or oxypropylated derivatives of ethylene-diamine such as Tetronics give efficient results.
• a solution, in deionized water, of from to 500 g/liter of a-amino (alkanephosphonic) acid solution and from to 500 g/liter of tensioactive substance is prepared.
• This solution is neutralized, preferably with sodium hydroxide, to obtain a pH from 7 to 7.5.
• This neutralized solution is the mother-solution.
• the washing solution results from the dilution of approximately 10 percent of the mother-solution in water, preferably deionized water. If desired, adjuvants such as disinfectants, optical brighteners, etc. may be added.
• the concentration of the washing solution is set in accordance with the strain degree of the objects decontaminated. The soaking of the objects to be decontaminated in the washing solution, in some cases, must be accompanied with a strong brushing.
• the effluents resulting from the wash generally have a slight or medium activity (10 l0 Ci/m).
• Calcium in the form of calcium nitrate or calcium chloride is added to the wash effluent in an amount to give an ionic-concentration sufiicient to displace the rare earths and strontium from their complexes with the a-amino (alkane-phosphonic) acid.
• the a-amino (alkane-phosphonic) acid for example, the
• calcium-ion quantity is generally less than 1/100 of equivalent-gram per liter of solution.
• the effluents are scrubbed in the usual manner. For instance, they may be scrubbed by coprecipitation or, preferably, by means of zeolites.
• the treatment with zeolites has an excellent scrubbing output.
• the following examples relate to the decontamination of objects used in nuclear instruments or equipment and to the treatment of the resulting effluent.
• EXAMPLE I Decontamination of Linen A solution in deionized water was prepared having 50 g/liter of a solution of Plurafac RA No. 20 alcohol and 50 g/liter of a solution of amino-tri(methane-phosphonic) acid. The solution was neutralized by the addition of sodium hydroxide to form the mother-solution. The mother-solution was diluted in deionized water to form a 10 percent solution. The linen was then washed in the 10 percent wash solution at a temperature between and C. At the end of the washing, the normal checking instruments indicated no radioactivity on the linen.
• a solution in the deionized water contained 40 g/liter of solution of Plurafac RA No. 40 alcohol and 70 g/liter of amino-tri (methane-phosphonic) acid.
• the solution was neutralized to a pH of 7 to 7.5 with sodium hydroxide to give a mother-solution.
• the mother-solution was diluted in deionized water to obtain a solution of 10 percent concentration.
• the 10 percent solution was brought to a temperature of 60 and the various objects were soaked with an accompanying damp brushing.
• the first part after treatment by precipitation of calcium carbonate, had an apparent activity of 965 impulses/ml for 5 minutes.
• the decontamination factor was 1 2.
• the second part, after treatment by precipitation of calcium phosphate had an apparent activity of 580 impulses/ml for 5 minutes.
• the decontamination factor was 20.
• the third part after treatment by scattering of zeolite and filtration, had an apparent activity of 128 impulses/ml for 5 minutes.
• the decontamination factor was 90.
• a process for decontamination of radioactive objects comprising:
• a process for the decontamination of radioactive objects having radioactive rare earths or strontium particles thereon comprising:

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
• Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Detergent Compositions (AREA)
• Organic Low-Molecular-Weight Compounds And Preparation Thereof (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=8636938

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (11)

Cited By (2)

Families Citing this family (1)

Citations (2)

• 1967
  • 1967-08-17 FR FR118019A patent/FR1543305A/fr not_active Expired
• 1968
  • 1968-07-08 BE BE717759D patent/BE717759A/xx unknown
  • 1968-07-25 IL IL30424A patent/IL30424A/en unknown
  • 1968-08-06 ES ES356973A patent/ES356973A1/es not_active Expired
  • 1968-08-06 LU LU56652D patent/LU56652A1/xx unknown
  • 1968-08-13 GB GB38645/68A patent/GB1208480A/en not_active Expired
  • 1968-08-14 US US752504A patent/US3657012A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1968-08-14 SE SE10970/68A patent/SE335845B/xx unknown
  • 1968-08-15 JP JP43057719A patent/JPS4815000B1/ja active Pending
  • 1968-08-16 NL NL6811682A patent/NL6811682A/xx unknown
  • 1968-08-16 DE DE19681792289 patent/DE1792289A1/de active Pending

Patent Citations (2)

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