DeconGel is a gel created by CBI Polymers INC used to clean up after

chemical A chemical substance is a form of matter having constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. Some references add that chemical substance cannot be separated into its constituent elements by physical separation methods, i.e., w ...

and nuclear disasters. The product has been tested by numerous agencies and organizations in Japan including first responders, nuclear power plant operators, and private companies.

History

DeconGel was created by CBI Polymers INC in Honolulu, Hawaii in June of 2011. Since then it has been used commercially to clean up chemicals and nuclear waste. Most notably being in Japan after the

Fukushima nuclear disaster The was a nuclear accident in 2011 at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Ōkuma, Fukushima, Japan. The proximate cause of the disaster was the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, which occurred on the afternoon of 11 March 2011 ...

after the March 11, 2011 earthquake and subsequent tsunami compromised reactors and cooling baths at

TEPCO , also known as or TEPCO, is a Japanese electric utility holding company servicing Japan's Kantō region, Yamanashi Prefecture, and the eastern portion of Shizuoka Prefecture. This area includes Tokyo. Its headquarters are located in Uchi ...

’s Daiichi Nuclear Power Station left high levels of radiation on the Asahimachi Baptist School Building.

Formulation

While CBI Polymers has kept the full formulation a secret, The formula is a mix of Surfactants,

Chelates Chelation is a type of bonding of ions and molecules to metal ions. It involves the formation or presence of two or more separate coordinate bonds between a polydentate (multiple bonded) ligand and a single central metal atom. These ligands ar ...

, Thixotropy, Wetting Agents, Defoamer,

Biocides A biocide is defined in the European legislation as a chemical substance or microorganism intended to destroy, deter, render harmless, or exert a controlling effect on any harmful organism. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uses a sl ...

and Buffers. DeconGel is currently active in 3 different formulas * DeconGel 1102 – Formulated for increased effectiveness on petroleum-based contaminants, including PCBs and oil spills. Applied by brush or trowel; spray on version also available. * DeconGel 1108 – Formulated for heavy nuclear, toxic industrial chemical (TIC) and toxic industrial material (TIM) decontamination. Applied by brush or trowel. * DeconGel 1128 – Spray-on version of 1108 for industrial sprayers and large coverage areas.

Usage

DeconGel can encapsulate most radioactive isotopes such as H-3, C-14, F-18, I-125, I-131, Tc-99, TI-201, Tritiated-Thymadine and Transuranics such as Am-241, Pu-238, Pu-239, Pu-240, Pu-241, Pu-242, Cs-137, Cs-134, Co-60, Mn-54, Fe-55, Ni-63, Ni-59, Sr-90 and Co-58 as well as most Toxic Industrial Chemical and Materials such as Meth lab wastes, Asbestos, PCB, Crude Oil,

Antimony Antimony is a chemical element with the symbol Sb (from la, stibium) and atomic number 51. A lustrous gray metalloid, it is found in nature mainly as the sulfide mineral stibnite (Sb2S3). Antimony compounds have been known since ancient t ...

Arsenic Arsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As and atomic number 33. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in combination with sulfur and metals, but also as a pure elemental crystal. Arsenic is a metalloid. It has various allotropes, ...

, Barium,

Beryllium Beryllium is a chemical element with the symbol Be and atomic number 4. It is a steel-gray, strong, lightweight and brittle alkaline earth metal. It is a divalent element that occurs naturally only in combination with other elements to form m ...

Cadmium Cadmium is a chemical element with the symbol Cd and atomic number 48. This soft, silvery-white metal is chemically similar to the two other stable metals in group 12, zinc and mercury. Like zinc, it demonstrates oxidation state +2 in most of ...

, Chromium,

Cobalt Cobalt is a chemical element with the symbol Co and atomic number 27. As with nickel, cobalt is found in the Earth's crust only in a chemically combined form, save for small deposits found in alloys of natural meteoric iron. The free element, p ...

Copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...

Lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...

Nickel Nickel is a chemical element with symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal. Pure nickel is chemically reactive but large pieces are slow ...

Selenium Selenium is a chemical element with the symbol Se and atomic number 34. It is a nonmetal (more rarely considered a metalloid) with properties that are intermediate between the elements above and below in the periodic table, sulfur and tellurium, ...

Silver Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...

Zinc Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodi ...

, and Molybdenum. DeconGel has special properties that “wet out” a surface allowing the gel to penetrate into contiguous pores. Often contamination is considered “fixed” when in fact the contaminants are actually “loose” but trapped within pores, unable to be removed via common decontamination techniques. DeconGel can get within these pores and remove these contaminants making it appear that DeconGel has actually penetrated the substrate. DeconGel can be applied by brush, trowel (small hand-held or large stand-up trowel) or sprayer (sprayer and/or product may need to be modified to work). For small surface areas a paint brush, a small trowel or a hand-held sprayer can be used. For large complex surfaces, an industrial type sprayer may be more practical. For large horizontal surfaces, either a sprayer or a stand-up trowel may be used. When spraying DeconGel, multiple coats may be needed before peeling the gel from the surface. The thicker the dried gel is, the easier it is to remove from the surface.

History

Formulation

Usage

See also

References

Further reading