Clean-up by gas-particle transformation under the action of a corona discharge: application to volatile iodine compounds

The ionization of gas induced by the establishing of a corona discharge causes gas-particle transformation of the iodomethane. A radioactive tracer (iodine 131) is used to produce elementary iodine balances for the overall process. The experimental results show the benefit of this procedure for the purification of radioactive gaseous iodine compounds. There is a transfer of activity from the gaseous phase to the solid phase. Transformation levels can reach 80% under our experimental conditions. The experimental study of aerosols produced downstream of the corona discharge evidences the need to carry out this process in three successive stages.