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Comparative studies of polymer materials as radon protection coating
Nucl. TrackJ Radiat. Meas., Vol. 22, Nm 1.-4, pp. 329-330, 1993 Elsev~ ~ LM PtimsdtaOz~D#,ma. $6.00+.00
perp,,m
COMPARATIVE STUDIES OF POLYMER MATERIALS AS RADON PROTECTION COATING G. z~-sosA,*t J. I. G o ~
and R. B. GAMMAOr~§
*Inslituto de Fmca, UNAM, Apanade Postal 20-364, Mexico,D.F. 01000, Mexzco,~)ak Ridge Nataonal Laboratory, Health and Safety Dzvtsion,Oak Rxlge, TN 37831-6383, U.S.A.
J~SSIl~CT The control of indoor radon levels has become a public health issue (Espinosa e t al, 1991; Hakl et al, 1991). New regulations and a r c h i t e c t u r a l designs a r e being developed f o r residential areas, homes and public buildings. Radon c o n c e n t r a t i o n is d i r e c t l y r e l a t e d to the r a t i o between energy conservation and open-window ventilation. A large percentJtge of the accumulated radon comes via its i n f i l t r a t i o n through walls and f l o o r s (Cohtern et al, 1987). Some possible solutions to the problem involve: I) The use t h e r m a l l y - I n s u i a t e d boards which still allow the passage of radon t o outside; and 2) the use of coatings to reduce the i n f i l t r a t i o n through wall and floors.
of the the
KEYWORDS Nuclear Tracks;
Radon;
Coating Materials. INTRODUCTION
In this work we p r e s e n t the results of a comparative study of d i f f e r e n t coatings f o r walls, f l o o r s a n d / o r ceilings. These coatings a r e specifically made with polymeric materials with d i f f e r e n t permeability to radon, and besides, a r e easy t o apply to walls, floors and ceilings without a f f e c t i n g the a r c h i t e c t u r e and decoration (Encyclopedia of Polymer, 1970) EXPERIMENTAL Six d i f f e r e n t m a t e r i a l s were used as protective coatings against radon permeation. As d e t e c t o r , CR-39 was utilized to detect the permeation of radon through the m a t e r i a l s tested. The six materials were: a) cellulose e s t h e r (wall paper), t r a d e mark VINIPLAST, density= 0.81 rag/cruZ; b) vinyl a c e t a t e painting, t r a d e name VIN-ECO EXPRESS, Pinturas Optimus, solubl~ in alcohols, benzene and chlorinated hydrocarbons and density= 1.15 m g / c m ; c) metal pigment, t r a d e name COMEX, Comercial Mexlcana de Pinturas, thin, opaque alUm!hUm Of;mg/cm~ copper alloy flakes incorporated into plastic masses, density = 0.92 d) epoxy resins, t r a d e mark VAR-EC0, pinturas Optimus, soluble in
t G m Imimt CJR'IRE. | ItsmtM~ qxmmml by U.S. ~
,U~M ~ , . 4 - w
of ]~.qly cadet the eeetrtct D ] ~ - A ~ 1 4 0 0
329
G. ESPINOSA et M.
330
thinner, density 1.06 mg/cm3; e) phenolic resins, t r a d e mark COMEX, Comercial Mexica~a de Pinturas, soluble in thinner and t u r p e n t i n e oil, density= I.I mg/cm-; and f) Acrylic and amino resins, t r a d e name ECO EXPRESS, ~inturas Optimus, soluble in thinner and turpentine oil and density= 1.19 m g / c m . The coatings w e r e applied with an air gun onto f i l t e r paper # 4 (Whatman) and the u n i f o r m i t y and lack of" cracks were checked with a light beam. The d e t e c t o r s were chemically etched in a KOH solution 6N a t 70 "C f o r 20 hours and the t r a c k s w e r e r e a d with an optical ~ I c r n s c o p e a t 200X and observing in a region of I0 nun X I nun, 30 t r a c k s / c m in the background. All the d e t e c t o r s w e r e placed in a room with a known radon concentration inside a container covered with the coatings, measuring throughout 3 months at 5 identical d e t e c t o r s f o r each case. RESULTS Figure I contains the results of the measurements, where the type of m a t e r i a l s is plotted vs. radon absorbance with respect to an open system. \
A
~
|
l a,
bl
~TF.~/I~L$
•J
f
Figure I.- Type of materials vs. radon absorbance.
CONCLUSIONS
As observed in the results, the permeation of radon through reduced up to 50"A by using an adequate coating material.
walls
can be
REFERENCES Cohtern, C.R. and Smith, J.E. New York.
(1987)
Environmental Radon .
Espinosa, G., Castaflo, V.M., Golzarri, Permeability of some m a t e r i a l s to radon. p. 307-308.
Plenum Press,
J.I. and Gmnmage, R.B. Nucl. Tracks Radiat. Meas.
(1991) Vol. 19,
Hakl, J., Hunyadi, I. and Teto-Szilagyi, M. (1991) Radon permeability of foils measured by SSNTD technique. Nucl. Tracks Radiat. Meas. Vol. 19, p. 319-320. Encyclopedia of Polymer Sci _en¢~___ and publishers. Vol. 13, p. 4 8 6 - 5 3 3
Technology.
(1970)
Ed.
Intersciencos
perp,,m
COMPARATIVE STUDIES OF POLYMER MATERIALS AS RADON PROTECTION COATING G. z~-sosA,*t J. I. G o ~
and R. B. GAMMAOr~§
*Inslituto de Fmca, UNAM, Apanade Postal 20-364, Mexico,D.F. 01000, Mexzco,~)ak Ridge Nataonal Laboratory, Health and Safety Dzvtsion,Oak Rxlge, TN 37831-6383, U.S.A.
J~SSIl~CT The control of indoor radon levels has become a public health issue (Espinosa e t al, 1991; Hakl et al, 1991). New regulations and a r c h i t e c t u r a l designs a r e being developed f o r residential areas, homes and public buildings. Radon c o n c e n t r a t i o n is d i r e c t l y r e l a t e d to the r a t i o between energy conservation and open-window ventilation. A large percentJtge of the accumulated radon comes via its i n f i l t r a t i o n through walls and f l o o r s (Cohtern et al, 1987). Some possible solutions to the problem involve: I) The use t h e r m a l l y - I n s u i a t e d boards which still allow the passage of radon t o outside; and 2) the use of coatings to reduce the i n f i l t r a t i o n through wall and floors.
of the the
KEYWORDS Nuclear Tracks;
Radon;
Coating Materials. INTRODUCTION
In this work we p r e s e n t the results of a comparative study of d i f f e r e n t coatings f o r walls, f l o o r s a n d / o r ceilings. These coatings a r e specifically made with polymeric materials with d i f f e r e n t permeability to radon, and besides, a r e easy t o apply to walls, floors and ceilings without a f f e c t i n g the a r c h i t e c t u r e and decoration (Encyclopedia of Polymer, 1970) EXPERIMENTAL Six d i f f e r e n t m a t e r i a l s were used as protective coatings against radon permeation. As d e t e c t o r , CR-39 was utilized to detect the permeation of radon through the m a t e r i a l s tested. The six materials were: a) cellulose e s t h e r (wall paper), t r a d e mark VINIPLAST, density= 0.81 rag/cruZ; b) vinyl a c e t a t e painting, t r a d e name VIN-ECO EXPRESS, Pinturas Optimus, solubl~ in alcohols, benzene and chlorinated hydrocarbons and density= 1.15 m g / c m ; c) metal pigment, t r a d e name COMEX, Comercial Mexlcana de Pinturas, thin, opaque alUm!hUm Of;mg/cm~ copper alloy flakes incorporated into plastic masses, density = 0.92 d) epoxy resins, t r a d e mark VAR-EC0, pinturas Optimus, soluble in
t G m Imimt CJR'IRE. | ItsmtM~ qxmmml by U.S. ~
,U~M ~ , . 4 - w
of ]~.qly cadet the eeetrtct D ] ~ - A ~ 1 4 0 0
329
G. ESPINOSA et M.
330
thinner, density 1.06 mg/cm3; e) phenolic resins, t r a d e mark COMEX, Comercial Mexica~a de Pinturas, soluble in thinner and t u r p e n t i n e oil, density= I.I mg/cm-; and f) Acrylic and amino resins, t r a d e name ECO EXPRESS, ~inturas Optimus, soluble in thinner and turpentine oil and density= 1.19 m g / c m . The coatings w e r e applied with an air gun onto f i l t e r paper # 4 (Whatman) and the u n i f o r m i t y and lack of" cracks were checked with a light beam. The d e t e c t o r s were chemically etched in a KOH solution 6N a t 70 "C f o r 20 hours and the t r a c k s w e r e r e a d with an optical ~ I c r n s c o p e a t 200X and observing in a region of I0 nun X I nun, 30 t r a c k s / c m in the background. All the d e t e c t o r s w e r e placed in a room with a known radon concentration inside a container covered with the coatings, measuring throughout 3 months at 5 identical d e t e c t o r s f o r each case. RESULTS Figure I contains the results of the measurements, where the type of m a t e r i a l s is plotted vs. radon absorbance with respect to an open system. \
A
~
|
l a,
bl
~TF.~/I~L$
•J
f
Figure I.- Type of materials vs. radon absorbance.
CONCLUSIONS
As observed in the results, the permeation of radon through reduced up to 50"A by using an adequate coating material.
walls
can be
REFERENCES Cohtern, C.R. and Smith, J.E. New York.
(1987)
Environmental Radon .
Espinosa, G., Castaflo, V.M., Golzarri, Permeability of some m a t e r i a l s to radon. p. 307-308.
Plenum Press,
J.I. and Gmnmage, R.B. Nucl. Tracks Radiat. Meas.
(1991) Vol. 19,
Hakl, J., Hunyadi, I. and Teto-Szilagyi, M. (1991) Radon permeability of foils measured by SSNTD technique. Nucl. Tracks Radiat. Meas. Vol. 19, p. 319-320. Encyclopedia of Polymer Sci _en¢~___ and publishers. Vol. 13, p. 4 8 6 - 5 3 3
Technology.
(1970)
Ed.
Intersciencos