Funding institution: Executive Unit for Financing Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation, UEFISCDI
Funding program: National Plan III (PN III)
Program 2: Increasing the competitiveness of the Romanian economy through research, development and innovation
Subprogram 2.1. Competitiveness through research, development and innovation
Financing instrument: Transfer to the economic operator
Project code: PN-III-P2-2.1-PTE-2019-0400
Project title: Removable films for decontamination of heavy metals and radionuclides
Project acronym: StripCoat-HMR
Project duration: 18.09.2020 – 16.09.2022
Research team
Project Coordinator: Stimpex S.A.
Project Director: Eng. Marcel ISTRATE
Partners
P1: Military Technical Academy “Ferdinand I”
Project Manager: Dr. Eng. Gabriela TOADER
P2: National Research and Development Institute for Chemistry and Petrochemistry – ICECHIM
Project Manager: Dr. Eng. Ana-Mihaela GAVRILA
P3: Scientific Research Center for CBRN Defense and Ecology
Project Manager: Dr. Eng. Ciprian SAU
The purpose of this project is to transfer an innovative decontamination technology, which involves the use of exfoliating polymer films for the decontamination of heavy and radioactive metals, from the academic environment to the industrial partner STIMPEX S.A. These polymer films have the ability to encapsulate the contaminant (heavy metals or radioactive metals) and to remove it, once they are detached, from the contaminated surface. This project idea arose against the backdrop of extremely important environmental protection issues, as increasing amounts of toxic chemical waste are identified annually in the environment as a result of the use, mainly of heavy and radioactive metals, in very important areas such as the defense and national security industry (ignition caps, detonators), the nuclear energy industry, medicine, etc., which entail unfavorable consequences. In order to reduce the harmful effects caused by these contaminants, this consortium aims to develop an innovative method for decontamination of surfaces. The polymer films will be obtained on an industrial prototype scale, through a green synthesis method, using environmentally friendly, biodegradable, non-toxic and cheap raw materials. The synthesized decontamination solutions can be applied by spraying or spread with a roller or brush, and after drying, the obtained films can be detached by simply exfoliating them, thus also removing the contaminant embedded in their polymer matrix.
Expected results
Optimization of the decontamination technology of surfaces contaminated with heavy and radioactive metals using the exfoliating polymer films obtained from the manufactured polymer solutions:
- Design and execution of the pilot plant for manufacturing the industrial prototype batch of polymer decontamination solutions
- Execution of the industrial prototype batch of polymer decontamination solutions, using the developed manufacturing plant
- Test reports – evaluation of the manufactured polymer solutions as well as the performances of the exfoliating films obtained from them
- Dissemination of the project results
Stage I
Reported period: September 2020 – December 2020
Name of stage I: Analysis of laboratory technology and transfer of knowledge to the economic partner in order to design and execute a pilot plant for manufacturing the industrial prototype batch
Activities:
A1. Analysis of the manufacturing technology of the research prototype and establishment of technical parameters for the manufacture of the industrial prototype
A2. Establishment of the technical manufacturing specification for the industrial prototype
A3. Design and development of documentation for the pilot plant for obtaining decontamination solutions
A4. Implementation of the pilot plant for manufacturing the industrial prototype
A5. Creation of a project website
Deliverables:
L1. Report on establishing technical parameters for the manufacture of the industrial prototype
L2. Manufacturing specification
L3. Pilot plant execution documentation
L4. Project website
L5. Scientific report
Stage II
Conclusions
All activities provided for in the Project Implementation Plan were carried out during Stage 2/2021. Based on the activities carried out to optimize the technology for obtaining the product “Removable films for the decontamination of heavy metals and radionuclides”, the technological parameters and technological flows of the process were established, and based on this information, the manufacturing facility for the industrial prototype was also optimized. The industrial prototype batch, consisting of 50 kg of “StripCoat-HMR” decontamination solution, was subjected to a test and evaluation program to validate the fulfillment of the requirements imposed on it. The prototype testing was carried out according to the PTED-StripCoatHMR development test and evaluation plan, having as basic documents the SD—StripCoatHMR development specification and the SF—StripCoatHMR manufacturing specification. The product was tested for the tests described in the PTED. It was concluded that the product complies with the technical and performance characteristics required in the basic product development specification, as follows: – Following the initial checks (product composition and appearance, existence of documents attesting the quality of raw materials) and checks of the physico-chemical characteristics, it resulted that the product complies with the provisions of the documentation, a fact confirmed by the results presented in the RTED. – Following the tests carried out for the performance characteristics checks, it resulted that the prototype produced complies with the provisions of the basic product development specification: The range of values obtained for the three types of heavy metals and for the three types of radionuclides used in testing on five types of materials is 90-97%. In conclusion, following the testing and evaluation activities, in accordance with the development testing and evaluation plan, the product “StripCoat-HMR – industrial prototype” complied with the provisions of the development specification.
Identification of the results of Stage 2/2021 and the degree of achievement of the objectives
Table 6 in the presentation below presents the results obtained within each activity of this stage as well as the documentation prepared, according to the Project Implementation Plan. All management and scientific objectives of this stage have been fully met.
Stripcoat-Scientific-report-stage-II Download
Stage III
Development assessment for the approval of the industrial prototype batch and preparation of the final report
In stage III/2022, the documentation for approval was prepared, the appointment of a commission for approval was requested, followed by the analysis of the official approval and the Audit of the functional configuration. CO-STIMPEX S.A. issued a request for the appointment of a commission for approval, which was sent to the Ministry of National Defense – Armaments Department to the Head of the Management and Endowment Programs Directorate. The single stage in 2022 achieved the following objectives:
- Technical memorandum for approval, which has as annexes the documentation drawn up in 2021 (and revised in 2022: Manufacturing specification (valid for industrial prototype); Test-evaluation plan for decontamination solutions (valid for industrial prototype); Test-evaluation report for decontamination solutions (valid for industrial prototype);
- Official approval analysis and Functional configuration audit
Stage 3 was successfully completed and the product was approved.
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