Laser decontamination LaPlus

The decontamination of painted surfaces is one of the most labour-intensive steps in the deconstruction of nuclear facilities. Large areas of metal or mineral components have to be cleared of paint and impurities to enable clearance measurements. An additional challenge here is the removal of coating systems containing PCBs, because these are potentially carcinogenic. Using laser for removal burns the coating and the PCBs react and turn into harmless products.

As part of a research project together with the TU Dresden and the TU Bergakademie Freiberg IABG developed a tool attachment for mobile use of the laser decontamination system. The aim of this research project was to transfer the findings from previous research projects from the laboratory to practical application. This was a success and was convincingly proven in trials on the premises of the reprocessing plant in Karlsruhe (WAK).