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Double crosslinking enhances UV-cured water-based decontamination coatings for nuclear applications
A new coating concept combines two crosslinking mechanisms to improve the mechanical stability and peelability of UV-cured water-based decontamination coatings, enabling efficient and residue-free removal of radioactive contamination.
Decontamination of surfaces in nuclear decommissioning and emergency response requires coatings that balance cohesion for mechanical integrity with controlled adhesion for clean removal. A research team led by Yanlin Zhu has now developed a water-based, UV-cured coating that achieves this balance through a double crosslinking strategy.
The material integrates flexible long chains from polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and chitosan condensation with rigid, radically crosslinked acrylic and acrylamide short chains. This dual network improves tensile strength to 2 MPa and provides an elongation at break of 410 %, while maintaining low adhesion (peel strength < 2.2 N/cm on cement). As a result, the coating can be removed as a continuous film without leaving residues.
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High decontamination efficiency across substrates
Beyond its mechanical performance, the coating demonstrates excellent radioactive decontamination efficiency: it achieves 99.70 % removal on glass, 99.68 % on stainless steel and 92.40 % on concrete. The material cures rapidly under UV light, shows strong solvent resistance and adheres to a wide variety of substrates. Its water-based formulation also helps to reduce volatile organic compounds (VOC), improving both environmental and occupational safety.
The study illustrates how tailored crosslinking networks can expand the potential of peelable protective and decontamination coatings, particularly for nuclear facility decommissioning and emergency scenarios.
Source: Zhu, Y. et al. Double crosslinking strategy for optimising properties of waterborne UV-cured coating in radioactive decontamination applications. Prog. Org. Coat. 207, 109400 (2025).
