METHOD OF DECONTAMINATING RADIOISOTOPE-CONTAMINATED SURFACE VICINITY REGION BY USE OF NONTHERMAL LASER PEELING WITHOUT RE-MELTING, WITHOUT RE-DIFFUSION AND WITHOUT RE-CONTAMINATION, AND APPARATUS THEREFOR

摘要

With respect to the method of removing a surface-adhering coating contaminated with radioisotope, as the applicability conditions, such as object, place and configuration, are strict, the scope of application thereof is quite limited. Thus, 100% decontamination cannot be attained, and while half or more can be decontaminated, substantial portion of the adhering radioisotope remains, that is, the decontamination capacity effect is very limited. There is provided a method of decontamination by the use of nonthermal laser peeling without re-melting, without re-diffusion and without re-contamination, in which parts, structures, etc. with surface contaminated with radioisotope of an accelerator, atomic reactor, radioisotope production plant, nuclear fuel plant, nuclear fuel reprocessing plant, etc. are exposed to nonthermal laser irradiation so that laser-irradiated surface vicinity regions are evaporated off faster than the transfer of heat generated in the vicinity of irradiated surface to its periphery.