Decontamination of nuclear facilities through the use of foams: fundamental and applied studies

Only a few techniques are available to decontaminate large internally contaminated components with complex shapes. Among these techniques, the foam process seems to be the most relevant for it only requires small amounts of liquid. Thus, the volume of secondary waste produced can be significantly reduced. This process was successfully validated during the decontamination of a graphite-gas cooler representing a developed area of 1000 m2. Since then, there has been an increasing number of studies on new foam formulations adapted to maintenance or dismantling purposes. For a better mastery of this process, comprehensive studies are ongoing, consisting of the characterization of the hydrodynamic behavior of decontamination foams. (author)