Method of decontaminating radioactive metal surfaces

摘要

Disclosed is a method of decontaminating metal surfaces contaminated with a radioactive deposit by passing over the coating an aqueous solution of a water soluble condensation reaction product of (1) a hydrazine compound having the general formula <IMAGE> where each R group is independently selected from hydrogen and alkyl to C4 and (2) a water soluble aliphatic polycarboxylic acid. The method includes the additional last steps of passing an aqueous oxidizing solution over the deposit followed by passing a decontamination solution over the deposit a second time. The solution is circulated through a cationic exchange column which can be preloaded with hydrazine ion. The decontamination solution can be decomposed by the addition of an oxidant to form nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and water.