Modeling the Decontamination by Electromigration of a Porous Medium

Abstract

The objective of this article is to provide a better understanding on the transport of radioelements through a porous medium (cementitious material). We focus on electrokinetic methods where an external current and a lixiviant solution accelerate the transport of the radionuclides from the porous medium to the exterior. This work sheds light on the interactions between the porous medium and the radionuclide of interest. A numerical model is developed in order to describe the concentration profiles inside the porous medium during a decontamination test, and to predict the decontamination rate of the sample. The final objective of this work is to assist the development of industrial processes of decontamination.