Experimental study of the cobalt oxide etching rate from metal surface using F2/He atmospheric pressure plasma for decontamination of nuclear components

Askari, Mohammad; Darestani Farahani, Nikoo; Bakhshzad Mahmoudi, Mehdi; Abbasi Davani, Fereydoun

doi:10.22034/rpe.2023.418141.1163

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

¹ Radiation Application Department, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

² Plasma and Nuclear Fusion Research School, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22034/rpe.2023.418141.1163

Abstract

Metal surface cleaning or etching techniques using reactive plasma are emerging as one of the dry processing techniques for surface contaminants with high bond energy, especially for cleaning and decontamination of nuclear components and equipment. In this study, the plasma reaction due to the discharge of a dielectric barrier of a mixture of 95% helium and 5% fluorine with cobalt oxide film (Co₃O₄) grown on the surface of stainless steel 304 was studied experimentally. Experimental results show that cobalt oxide becomes a powder after plasma irradiation and is easily separated from the surface of the base metal. The optimal plasma generating conditions of the dielectric barrier discharge used in this experimental study were obtained at atmospheric pressure, voltage 4.5 kV, and frequency 25 kHz with an etching rate of 10.875 μmol.min^-1. The samples were analyzed before and after plasma irradiation, using Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and the purification rate was performed using a sequential weighting of the samples with scales 10^-4 g accurately obtained. The results show the ability of this method to effectively remove the surface contamination of cobalt from the surface of stainless steel 304.

Highlights

Metal surface cleaning or etching techniques using reactive cold plasma as emerging technique is presented.
Removing Cobalt oxide from metal surface with presenting removal rate has been done.
Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and the purification rate was performed.

Keywords

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Experimental study of the cobalt oxide etching rate from metal surface using F2/He atmospheric pressure plasma for decontamination of nuclear components

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Volume 5, Issue 2April 2024Pages 25-32

Volume 5, Issue 2
April 2024
Pages 25-32