Study of contaminants in plasmas during decommissioning processes

With the intention of eventual development of on-site radionuclide capture technologies, methods to simulate radionuclide behaviour when contaminated components are subjected to plasma-based decommissioning processes are developed. Two parallel plasma systems are developed and investigated. A better-understood argon plasma based system has temperature measurement methods developed, along with an exploration of the resultant behavior when non-radioactive isotopes of cesium iodide contaminants are introduced. This plasma system produces traces of ionic species of cesium and iodide, as well as space-dependent deposition patterns: both of which are relevant towards understanding behaviour of contaminants in environments undergoing decommissioning processes. A physical simulation of a cutting process of a contaminated component is completed using an commercial plasma torch by cutting cesium iodide contaminated samples. This process produces some of the same ionic species as in the controlled experiment, proving a controlled argon plasma can be used to simulate plasma environments in decommissioning scenarios.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Nuclear Engineering

Grantor

University of Ontario Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2020

Author dc:creator

• Somer, Nicholas

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Harvel, Glenn

• Nuclear decommissioning
• Plasma
• Plasma chemistry
• Decommissioning
• Plasma cutting

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10155/1270

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ontariotechu.scholaris.ca:10155/1270