Containers for radioactive waste

Cleaning, Protection, and Containment of a Radioactive Waste Container

Our client, a designer and manufacturer of containers for the transport and storage of radioactive waste, sought the expertise of Interface Field Services (IFS)

Objective: To ensure the integrity of the equipment’s internal and external surfaces for a period of two years prior to its commissioning.

REQUIREMENTS : Keep surfaces clean and dry using only PMUC products.

The component to be preserved is a complex, massive carbon steel structure :

Weight: 12 tons

Inner diameter: 1700 mm

Height: 4,000 mm

Outer diameter: 3,000 to 5,000 mm

To meet the stringent requirements of the nuclear industry, IFS has implemented a proprietary corrosion protection methodology based on VpCI® corrosion inhibitor technology developed by its long-standing partner, CORTEC.

1. Nettoyage complet et méticuleux de l’intégralité des parois intérieures et extérieures de la structure

When used with VpCI®415 degreasing cleaner, which meets PMUC requirements, surfaces are thoroughly cleaned and decontaminated, and are also protected from the risk of flash oxidation thanks to the corrosion inhibitors contained in the formulation.

2. Protection of the component’s internal surfaces

An ingenious Biopad® strip suspension system protects all internal surfaces.

Biopad® is a device certified as “PMUC-compliant” (approved by EDF and FRAMATOME), which works by releasing vapor-phase corrosion inhibitors (VpCI® CORTEC) until the internal air volume of the component is saturated.

The oxidation reaction in the presence of air is completely prevented by volatile corrosion inhibitors (VCIs), which form a hydrophobic molecular film on the metal’s surface.

3.Confinement, monitoring et dépréservation

The use of a heat-sealable protective sleeve isolates the component from the external environment and ensures the integrity of the protective coating. The sleeve is made from NuCorr® film, which is manufactured exclusively using Cortec’s VpCI® technology.

A temperature and humidity sensor is inserted between the Nucorr® enclosure and the component; the data recorded by the sensor, which can be downloaded via Bluetooth, provides a means of continuously monitoring the environment inside the enclosure. Removing the protective packaging from the equipment and putting it into service is particularly straightforward, since no cleaning of the protected surfaces is required.

In fact, the VCI molecules will begin to release almost immediately upon removal of the NuCorr® sleeve and Biopad® strips.

Result: An initial pilot project, carried out by IFS in 2023, demonstrated the solution’s effectiveness over the entire preservation period required by the client

And then…

The customer has decided to roll out the protocol across its entire production facility. To this end, IFS is providing training to operators and, if necessary, supervising their activities.

About 40 components have already been preserved thanks to VpCI®CORTEC solutions and a simple yet carefully controlled application process.