Stack removal project at Humboldt Bay
How can you saw a 250-foot contaminated stack into sections and not create airborne contamination? That’s the challenge that faced Humboldt Bay Power Plant – and Encapsulation Technologies had the answer.  Prior to choosing Encapsulation Technologies to do the work, PG&E radiation protection personnel had estimated that DAC values would exceed 180 DAC during the concrete cutting on the plant stack. In fact, Encapsulation Technologies' patented process to fix the contamination meant that during the demolition of the ventilation system and the plant stack no air samples were found above 0.3 DAC.

Encapsulation of plutonium at Rocky Flats
Encapsulation Technologies is using its patented passive airborne generator to reduce the airborne concentrations at Rocky Flats. Room 3559 of Building 371, alpha air concentrations have been measured at 418,936 DACs. Current levels average around 80,000 DAC.  Use of fog to encapsulate the airborne contamination has reduced that to less than 50 DAC. A second room was then selected for continuation of the "fogging" decontamination process. Room 3549 pre-fog DAC was 110,000, which was reduced to 3 DAC after "fogging". The "fogged" surfaces in both rooms that were accessible to personnel during subsequent entries were coated with Insta-Cote to prevent transfer of "fogged" contamination onto the protective clothing and equipment of the workers.

Tank farm lift pits (Hanford)
The application of the capture coating by the passive aerosol generator continues to reduce the contamination controls at the Hanford tank farms, thus saving Hanford time, money and potential contamination problems when they work in the lift pits. Cost saving continue at Hanford for the lift pit work.  To date, Encapsulation Technologies has been successful at encapsulating the contaminants in the lift pits each time it has applied the capture coating. The use of the PAG is required for each it entry by the ALARA department.

Plutonium-contaminated concrete dust (Pennsylvania)
Concrete dust contaminated with plutonium was successfully encapsulated using a glycerin/polysaccharide solution. Resulting airborne concentrations were less than the posting requirements for an airborne radioactivity area. Cleanup work was able to continue after the successful application of the capture coating by the PAG.

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