tritium decon

["Les Slaback, Health Physics" <SLABACK@micf.nist.gov>]

I tried heating tapes and water soaking.  Obviously material was being removed
but the process is so slow as to be of no use.  Temperatures of several
hundred degree centigradewould seem to be potentially effective, but typically
are not practical for large objects.

Strongly agree with the mobility comment.  But if the contamination levels
are not high (i.e., are just a technical issue) then the dispersed tritium
should not be a major issue (unless you have some folks whose work will be
disturbed by this, i.e., environmental tritium monitoring folks).

Note also that a vacuum will not 'suck' this stuff out.  The interior of
our LINAC was contaminated from the use of a several curie tritium target
used in a scattering experiment, and remained so even years after its
removal.  Sticky stuff that tritium.  Of course that is why hydrogen in
metals is such an interesting research topic (hydrogen embrittlement at the
sub-ppm conc levels).

SLABACK@MICF.NIST.GOV  [NBSR Health Physics Group]
    ...a little risk, like a bit of spice, adds flavor to life