Characterizations of high-activity solid deposit samples from fission products tanks

For dismantling the UP1 reprocessing plant in Marcoule, deposits coming from fission products tanks and evaporators have been characterized in the Atalante facility laboratories and hot cells. Very specific analytical developments have been performed, such as selective Cs decontamination by extraction chromatography and direct analysis of solid residues by L-line XRF. The dissolution process optimizations have resulted in final dissolution residues which dose rate do not exceed 0.1% of the initial aliquot dose rate. These characterizations help determining the composition of the raffinates present in such reprocessing equipment. These data are essential for the definition of remediation scenarios and waste management. (author)