Method for Decontamination of Radionuclides from Neutron-Irradiated Carbon and/or Graphite Materials

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This invention provides a method for decontaminating neutron-irradiated carbon and graphite materials that contain radioactive isotopes (radionuclides). The process employs carefully controlled mechanical (crushing, shaking, sieving) and/or chemical (application of energy, such as heat or chemical agents) treatments to selectively target and dissolve the microcrystalline or amorphous binder regions of the material, where most of the releasable radionuclides are found. The resulting fractions are then separated, enabling the removal and concentration of these problematic radionuclides while leaving behind a much less radioactive and potentially reusable graphite material.

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• Decontamination and conditioning of radioactive graphite waste from nuclear reactors to reduce the amount of high-level radioactive waste needing storage.
• Selective removal of radionuclides (such as tritium, radiocarbon, and others) from spent nuclear fuel graphite to facilitate safer disposal or recycling.
• Recovery and concentration of specific radionuclides (like radiocarbon or tritium) for potential scientific or industrial uses.
• Production of low-radioactivity graphite suitable for recycling and reuse in industry after decontamination.
• Reduction of environmental and safety hazards in handling and storing nuclear graphite waste.

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• Selective removal of only the releasable (potentially hazardous) radionuclides, minimizing unnecessary destruction of valuable material.
• Significant reduction in the volume and radioactivity of waste destined for long-term storage, leading to lower costs and resource requirements for waste repositories.
• Possibility to reuse decontaminated graphite for new applications, contributing to sustainability and resource efficiency.
• Potential to recover valuable radioactive isotopes for scientific or industrial reuse, rather than simple disposal.
• Increases safety by ensuring that only the strongly bound, non-releasable radionuclides remain, minimizing the risk of environmental contamination.

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Patent Abstract

The invention relates to a method for decontaminating radionuclides from neutron-irradiated carbon and/or graphite materials, which are composed of a heterogeneous combination of crystalline filler materials and microcrystalline-amorphous binder materials, comprising mechanical and/or chemical treatment methods, wherein the mechanical treatment methods comprise the steps of fracturing, shaking, and sifting and the chemical treatment methods comprise supplying activation energy, characterized in that the mechanical treatment methods and/or the supply of the amount of activation energy is set in such a way that only the microcrystalline regions of the binder material and/or the entire porous body of the amorphous carbon fractions of the carbon and/or graphite material are acted on and dissolved, and that reaction products that were separated from the carbon and/or graphite materials by the mechanical and chemical treatment methods are subsequently fractionated.