[en] The BNFL programme of work has investigated theoretical aspects of the mechanisms responsible for the deposition and adherence of contamination to metallic surfaces and the energetics of physical decontamination processes. The work has been conducted in two phases: The theoretical and laboratory study of deposition of species from aqueous media on to stainless steel; Theoretical assessment of the forces causing the attraction of PuO₂ and UO₂ particles to stainless steel in an air environment and comparison of these forces with the energies delivered by physical jetting processes. The first phase produced a model which was found to give good agreement with plant operational experience of the deposition of simple aqueous ions such as Cobalt. Due to the complexities, however, of surface / colloid and surface / particle interactions the model was found not to be successful at predicting deposition for more complex compounds, such as Ruthenium Nitrosyls. At this stage the model had fulfilled its original requirement of underpinning design work on pipework shielding systems and it was decided not to pursue the library of chemical speciation data that would be necessary to model the behaviour of a full spectrum of possible contaminants. The second phase predicts by theoretical analysis that the relation of the energy delivered by jetting techniques to the physical forces causing the adherence of PuO₂ and UO₂ particles will vary considerably with particle size. This is particularly notably for larger PuO₂ particles which are firmly held as a result of high levels of electrostatic charge due to their intense alpha activity. Small particles tend to be difficult to remove due to the low profile that they present to the jetting medium. Large and small PuO₂ particles and small UO₂ particle are thus predicted to be difficult to remove and will present an energy threshold which may not be crossed by all decontamination techniques. (author)