Gas-phase decontamination demonstration on PORTS cell X-25-4-2. Final technology status report

The Long-Term, Low Temperature (LTLT) process is a gas-phase in situ decontamination technique which has been tested by LMES/K-25 personnel on the laboratory scale with promising results. The purpose of the Gas-Phase Decontamination Demonstration at PORTS was to evaluate the LTLT process on an actual diffusion cascade cell at conditions similar to those used in the laboratory testing. The demonstration was conducted on PORTS diffusion cell X-25-4-2 which was one of the X-326 Building cells which was permanently shutdown as part of the Suspension of HEU Production at PORTS. The demonstration full-scale test consisted of rendering the cell leak-tight through the installation of Dresser seals onto the process seals, exposing the cell to the oxidants ClF{sub 3} and F{sub 2} for a period of 105 days and evaluating the effect of the clean-up treatment on cell samples and coupons representing the major diffusion cascade materials of construction. The results were extrapolated to determine the effectiveness of LTLT decontamination over the range of historical uranium isotope assays present in the diffusion complex. It was determined that acceptable surface contamination levels could be obtained in all of the equipment in the lower assay cascades which represents the bulk of the equipment contained in the diffusion complex