Concentration Profiles of Tritium Penetrated into Concrete

Abstract

Concentration profiles of tritium in cement paste, mortar and concrete were measured after exposure to tritiated water vapor for a given time. Tritium penetrated a distance of about 5 cm from the exposed surface during an exposure of 6 months. The model of tritium behavior in concrete materials reported by the present authors was developed in this study with the consideration of the effects of sand and aggregate on both the diffusion coefficient of tritiated water vapor and the isotope exchange capacity. Predictive calculations based on the tritium transport model were also carried out in some situations of tritium leakage. The results of the calculations show that a large amount of tritium will be trapped in the concrete walls, and the trapped tritium will be gradually released back to the tritium handling room over the time of months to years even after the decontamination of the room is completed.