Performance of paint coatings in the radiation fields of nuclear reactors and of high energy particle accelerators and after contamination by radionuclides

Several commercially available two/component coating systems based on epoxy and polyurethane resin, as well as lithium silicate/zinc dust paint coatings, have been irradiated in a nuclear reactor up to a dose of 2*10/sup 9/ rad and in a 28 GeV proton accelerator up to a dose of 1*10/sup 9/ rad. Besides assessment by visual inspection, the irradiated specimens have been subjected to the impact hardness test, the infinitesimal hardness behaviour tests, the grid scarification test and to swelling tests in methanol and acetone. The decontaminability of these paint coatings after contamination with solutions containing Ca 45, S 35 and I 131 is also investigated. Very good results in respect of decontaminability and radiation resistance up to 1*10/sup 9/ rad have been obtained with a coating of polyurethane cross-linked with an aliphatic diisocyanate. (9 refs).