An Efficient Laser Decontamination Process Based on Non-Radioactive Specimens of Nuclear Power Materials

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Engineering
• Materials Science
• Laser Technology

Background:

• Radioactive contamination on nuclear power components poses risks during maintenance and decommissioning.
• Existing decontamination methods can be inefficient and hazardous.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficiency of laser decontamination without spot overlapping for nuclear components.
• To evaluate the impact of laser parameters on decontamination effectiveness.

Main Methods:

• Utilized laser decontamination technology on Alloy 690 substrates simulating radioactive contamination.
• Employed Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) for surface analysis.
• Conducted single-pulse and power single-factor experiments to optimize parameters.

Main Results:

• Non-spot overlapping laser decontamination was 10 times more efficient than spot overlapping.
• Achieved a decontamination efficiency of 10.8 m²/h under optimized conditions (500 ns pulse width, 40 kHz frequency, 15,000 mm/s scan speed, 0.2 mm line spacing).
• Effective removal was observed at 160 W laser power, with reduced surface oxygen content and no residual oxide phases.

Conclusions:

• Laser decontamination without spot overlapping is a highly efficient method for removing radioactivity.
• Optimized laser parameters enable effective decontamination of nuclear power components.
• This technique provides a viable reference for future industrial applications in nuclear decommissioning.