Carbon-containing sorbents for removing volatile radioactive iodine compounds from the water vapor-air medium

Abstract

The sorption of CH3 131I and 131I2 from a water vapor-gas medium onto various grades of activated carbon was studied. All the sorbents tested exhibit high ability to take up 131I2. The 131I2 uptake exceeds 99.95% at 60°C and contact time of the gas phase with the sorbent τ = 0.5–0.7 s. The ability of the sorbents based on activated carbon to take up CH3 131I strongly depends on the sorbent particle size. High ability to take up CH3 131I from a water vapor-air flow is preserved only for cylindrical particles 1.0 mm in diameter and 1.0–2.0 mm long. Activated anthracite, like activated carbon with cylindrical particles 3.5 mm in diameter and 3.0–9.0 mm long, exhibits low performance in CH3 131I uptake. The degree of localization of CH3 131I does not exceed 40% at 60°C and τ = 0.5–0.7 s.