Assessing the applicability of detergents produced by InterKhimmet for carbon steel measuring instrument decontamination from alpha emitters

The article summarizes the studies on the applicability of detergents produced by InterKhimmet (St. Petersburg) in the decontamination of measuring instruments contaminated with alpha-emitting radionuclides. It considers the prospects for measuring instrument decontamination based on the submersion method both with and without ultrasonic exposure, as well as on the combined use of application and rubbing methods. The paper evaluates the corrosive effect produced by these detergents on the structural material of the instruments (carbon steel). The study demonstrates that the studied technical detergents can effectively decontaminate the instruments from alpha-emitters whereas ultrasonic exposure contributes to higher decontamination efficiency. At higher temperatures of up to 50°C, the decontamination efficiency of solutions grows to up to three times. Corrosion tests showed that the Compo K Clean 1 detergent should be considered as the most aggressive solution for carbon steel instruments. The study recommends Compalum N9 and Compo Shch L1020 technical detergents for measuring instrument decontamination.