Measurement of the iodine species in nitric acid solution under the irradiation of -ray

Okagawa, Seigo; Nagai, Hitoshi*; Abe, Hitoshi*; Tashiro, Shinsuke 

To study the release mechanism of iodine from the dissolver solution in the nuclear fuel reprocessing plants to the atmosphere at criticality accidents, the characteristics of redox of iodine species in various solutions must be examined. In the present work, the effect of -ray irradiation on the redox reaction was examined in the nitric acid solution of 1M and 3M. Without irradiation, most of iodine in 1M nitric acid solutions were exist in the form of I. In 3M nitric acid solutions, iodine was oxidized to I. When the solutions were irradiated by -ray with exposure of more than 4C/kg, I was disappeared regardless of nitric acid concentration. At exposure of 120C/kg, iodine was oxidized to IO. At exposure of 4800C/kg, iodine was exist in the form of IO in 1M nitric acid solution. On the other hand, iodine in 3M nitric acid solution was reduced to I at the same exposure. In the irradiated solution, nitrous acid was found, which would be produced from nitric acid by -ray irradiation.