Fabrication of intelligent polymeric coating for uranium nuclear decontamination

The decontamination of structures with radioactive substances is one of the most important areas of environmental chemistry. In this study, an intelligent polymeric coating containing a Br-PADAP detector was made to identify and remove the uranyl nitrate contaminant (UO2(NO3)2.6H2O). In this study, the effect of pH was investigated for the first time. Also, the parameters of different substrates, detector concentration, contaminant drying temperature, coating drying temperature, and mechanical properties of the contaminant adsorption were investigated. The results of an evaluation of FT-IR, TGA, and liquid scintillation tests well prove the presence of uranium ions in the coating. The polymer coating containing the EDTA and Br-PADAP detector becomes purple to brown by absorbing a contaminant solution containing uranium ions. Quantitative evaluation based on MATLAB software image processing methods also shows a color change. Decontamination factors (DFs) in this coating were shown to be above 97% at 2000 ppm, and higher than in previous studies. The polymer solution was obtained with optimal formulation and flexible film.