Decontamination of radioactive metal surfaces by electrocoagulation.

The decontamination of noncompactable radioactive wastes, such as tools and equipment, aims to reduce the waste volume to be conditioned and stored. The electrocoagulation (EC) application in the decontamination of noncompactable radioactive waste from stainless steel containing uranium, was studied to evaluate its technical viability. The first studies were carried out with stainless steel plates coated with WO to simulate a fixed contamination and to determine the best tungsten removal conditions via EC considering pH, electrolyte support, distance between the electrodes, cell potential and counter-electrode material.