Radioactive cesium decontamination technology for ash

The accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in 2011 spurred rapid research and development at AIST for radioactive cesium decontamination systems. In this paper, we introduce the development of an ash-decontamination technology that uses Prussian blue (PB) nanoparticles. We developed all aspects of the system using a combination of fundamental technologies, which included optimization of the PB nanoparticle structure for use as a cesium adsorbent, composite fabrication as granules for use as an adsorbent, and extraction of radioactive cesium from contaminated ash. All aspects of development were achieved rapidly through close collaboration among materials science, computational science, and geology researchers. Collaboration with private companies was also effective.