Strippable Catechol-terminated Polyurethane Coating for Large-area Radioactive Cesium Decontamination

Abstract

Efficient and rapid decontamination of radioactive elements is important to prevent radioactive exposure. We develop a strippable catechol-terminated polyurethane (CPU) coating for effective surface decontamination. Our polyurethane coating can be directly applied to contaminated surfaces via simple spraying or pouring, followed by fast drying at room temperature. The coating is easily stripped off with sufficient toughness and adhesion, showing superior 137Cs removal efficiency on stainless steel (~94.9%) and rough cement (~15.1%), in a much shorter time (< 3 hrs) compared to commercial decontamination coatings. This performance can be attributed to the strong adhesion and cohesion by catechol moiety. Furthermore, the used coating material is dissolvable in acetone, showing a potential for reduction of radioactive waste volume through a dissolution process, preventing secondary contamination.