Chemical absorbent for catching halogen-containing gases discharged from isotope separation plants

The results of industrial tests of a cascade of chemical absorbents for catching spent halogen-containing processes gases during discharge into the atmosphere are discussed. It is noted that the volume of the discharged gases decreases as a result of CO₂ absorption. The HF and Cl₂ content in passing gas can serve as a criterion for the completion of each catching step; Cl₂ detection after the last step is a service life criterion for all chemical absorbents of a facility without exception. The average catching efficiency is 99.7 and 98.5% with respect to fluorine- and chlorine-containing components, respectively. An approximate calculation of the near-ground concentration of HF and Cl₂ is performed. The gases discharged by the isotope separation plant at the Siberian Chemical Combine were purified at the level of the maximum admissible concentration for the working zone and not at the level of the technical norm established individually for each industrial enterprise. Equipping nuclear fuel cycle enterprises with such systems will make it possible to decrease environmental contamination considerably.