[en] This report covers experiences on sodium removal techniques developed or gained in a number of countries running sodium cooled reactors. This experience has created confidence that complex components can be cleaned of sodium, maintenance or repair operations carried out, and the components successfully re-used. Cleaning of sodium wetted components or fuel assemblies was achieved by applying different techniques including vacuum distillation, using different alcohols or evaporation processes

[en] In the course of start-up, adjustment and operation of the BN-350 reactor there arose a need for cleaning from sodium and decontamination of primary and secondary equipment components. Design schemes of the systems provided for this purpose as well as those specially designed for cleaning of steam generator evaporators are considered. Technological processes of cleaning and decontamination for some reactor components (removable parts of circulating pumps, evaporators, valves) are described, the results are presented. (author)

[en] The EBR-II is now in Its 13th year of operation. During that period more than 2400 subassemblies have been cleaned of sodium without a serious incident of any kind by a two-step process developed at Argonne. Sodium cleaning and decontamination of other reactor components has been performed only on the relatively few occasions in which a repair or replacement has been required. A summary of the EBR-II experience will be presented. A new facility will be described for the improved cleaning and maintenance of sodium-wetted primary components

[en] This paper summarizes the experience with sodium removal and component decontamination processes within the framework of the SNR project since the IAEA Specialists Meeting on 'Decontamination of Plant Components from Sodium and Radioactivity' at Dounreay, April 9-12, 1973. The moist nitrogen process has been successfully applied to remove sodium from all 66 fuel elements of the KNK I core. Progress has been obtained in removing sodium from fuel elements and large components by vacuum distillation. Areas where future development is required are identified. (author)

[en] Application and operation of the Water Vapor-Nitrogen Process for removing sodium from LMFBR components is reviewed. Emphasis is placed on recent efforts to verify the technological bases of the process, to refine the values of process parameters and to ensure the utility of the process for cleaning and requalifying components. (author)

[en] The results of some experiments on the vacuum reaction between butylcellosolve and sodium, contained in small diameter capillaries, are reported. The effects on the cleaning rate of the temperature, amount of solvent, diameter and position of the capillaries are analyzed. The facility, used for the cleaning of small components of complex geometry, is described. (author)

[en] Adjacent to the reactor main building a building for sodium component overhaul is prepared. This building contains a sodium cleaning facility for the primary main pump in addition to other facilities. In this paper the sodium cleaning facility and its cleaning process is described. Further, the function of this facility is evaluated using the result of cleaning tests and experiences of actual pump cleaning. (author)

[en] As a consequence of the Italian Fast Reactor Development, mainly aimed to the PEC project and to the participation in the French Superphenix project, it is of increasing importance to set up a reliable method for specific reactor components and related test loops. The first problem was the cleaning of the PEC fuelling machine. In order to perform the routine maintenance of the machine an alcohol cleaning method based on the use of 2-butoxyethanol-NN dimethylformamide mixture has been proposed

[en] The objective of the DOE decontamination program is to develop a well characterized chemical decontamination process for application to LMFBR primary system components that subsequently permits contact maintenance and allows requalification of the components for reuse in reactors. The paper describes the subtasks of deposit characterization, development of requalification and process acceptance criteria, development of process evaluation techniques and studies which led to a new acidic process for decontaminating 304 stainless steel hot leg components

[en] INTERATOM has been concerned since 1967 with the development, testing, and application of methods to clean sodium wetted components by moist nitrogen, vacuum distillation or alcohol. The activities of INTERATOM in this area have been reported at the IAEA Specialists Meeting on 'Decontamination of Plant Components from Sodium and Radioactivity' in Dounreay, April 9-12, 1973. The three cleaning methods mentioned above are practised at present, too - with minor modifications - by INTERATOM and in the facilities of the SNR project. This note summarizes the experiences of INTERATOM with methods of sodium removal since 1973