Deactivation of Materials and Articles in the Presence of Silver(II)

Experimental results are presented to substantiate conditions and modes of the process of deactivation of materials and articles to remove the surface α-, and γ-radioactive contamination. Compositions of a deactivating solution based on a mixture of nitric and phosphoric acids with addition of divalent silver, which enable a 102–103-fold decrease in the surface radioactive contamination in one deactivation cycle at room temperature. A scheme of silver regeneration for its repeated use was developed. The scheme provides a silver yield of about 95% with a ~105 coefficient of purification to remove radioactive isotopes.