Electrolytic Decontamination of Stainless Steel Using a Basic Electrolyte

An electrolytic plutonium decontamination process for stainless steel was developed for use as the final step in a proposed radioactive waste handling and decontamination facility to be constructed at the Rockwell International Rocky Flats plutonium handling facility. The process utilizes a basic (pH > 7) electrolyte which has been patented (U.S. Patent 4 193 853). Filtration can be used to separate most radioactive contaminants and dissolved metal from the electrolyte. A test plan was executed comparing the basic electrolyte with phosphoric acid and nitric acid electrolytes. Laboratory-scale testing was done with stainless steel exposed to plutonium and americium. The alpha activity was reduced to <0.14 dis/min-cm^-2. The amount of wet sludge generated with the basic electrolyte was ∼170 mg/cm² of surface decontaminated.