Preventing Nuclear Fuel Material Adhesion on Glove Box Components Using Nanoparticle Coating

Abstract

To minimize retention of nuclear fuel materials in glove box components and curtail the external exposure dose, plutonium and uranium mixed oxide powder adhesion prevention technology involving nanoparticle coating of the acrylic panels of the glove box is developed. The nanoparticle coating reduces the van der Waals force between alumina particles and the acrylic test piece surface because of formation of nano-sized rugged surfaces. The nanoparticle coating reduces the minimum adhesion force normalized by the particle diameter between the uranium dioxide particle and the acrylic test piece surface, for the smallest particle of about 5 μm associated with desorption, this minimum adhesion force reduced to about 5%. The nanoparticle coating also lowers the adhered plutonium and uranium mixed oxide powder amounts on the acrylic test piece to about 10%. This study reveals that applying the nanoparticle coating to the acrylic panels of the glove box prevents adhesion of nuclear fuel materials. This method effectively reduces the retention of nuclear fuel materials in the glove box, lowers the external exposure dose, and improves the visibility of the acrylic panels.