Iodine–paint interactions during nuclear reactor severe accidents

To assess the radiological consequences of a severe reactor accident, it is important to be able to predict the behaviour of iodine in containment. Some interactions between iodine and containment paint (e.g., adsorption) have been well known for a long time. However, in recent years, new phenomena have been identified that can affect the gas phase iodine concentration in the longer term (e.g., the release of molecular iodine and organic iodides from irradiated painted surfaces). Several international collaborations and organizations around the world are currently addressing different aspects of this topic, including laboratory experiments and theoretical studies (ab initio) designed to improve the mechanistic understanding of the phenomena. Knowledge of the underlying mechanisms will provide explanations for behavioural differences observed between paint types, and will support the extrapolation of laboratory results to the safety analyses of nuclear reactors. The purpose of this paper is to present a selection of recent work performed by Severe Accident Research Network (SARNET) members regarding iodine-paint interactions and paint aging in order to improve the common understanding and better define what has still to be done in this area. The Severe Accident Research Network (SARNET) provides a framework within which members can share and discuss results.