Patent ID: 6613153
Filing Date: 2003-09-02
Classification: G21F

Abstract:
A method of removing radionuclides from a radioactively contaminated metal, which comprisesa) providing a radioactively contaminated metal having an oxide layer and a base metal layer, wherein radionuclides are present in both the oxide layer and the base metal layer; b) providing a decontamination solution comprising a carboxylic acid; c) removing the oxide layer containing the radionuclides by treating the radioactively contaminated metal with the decontamination solution, thereby generating an oxidizing agent in the decontamination solution; d) lowering the redox potential of the decontamination solution and reducing the corrosion potential of the base metal layer by removing the oxidizing agent from the decontamination solution, thereby allowing a controlled amount of the base metal layer to be removed by the decontamination solution; and e) removing a controlled amount of the base metal layer containing the radionuclides by treating the base metal layer with the decontamination solution having a lowered redox potential.