Volumetric Radioactivity Viewed as Surface Radioactivity for Free Release Assessment Purposes
- Westinghouse Savannah River Company, AIKEN, SC (United States)
As a part of the SRS Beneficial Reuse Program, stainless steel radioactive scrap metal is melted, pour into ingots, and roll into sheets. The sheets are then fabricated into boxes and barrels for beneficial reuse. The melting activity is a partial decontamination process. Certain isotopes separate from the melted steel, while others stay in solution. Cobalt-60 is the primary constituent, which remains in solution, and becomes the major contributor to the volumetric radioactivity of the finished products (boxes and barrels). There is currently no ``de minimis`` free release level for volumetrically radioactive material. However, under certain circumstances, pathway analysis can be used (and have been used) to free release volumetrically radioactive material. This paper presents an analysis using empirical data derived from over sixty ``melts``, to demonstrate that the implied surface radioactivity for specific beneficial reuse products is within free release limit. The approach can be applied to other recycled metal products.
- Research Organization:
- Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC09-96SR18500
- OSTI ID:
- 335164
- Report Number(s):
- WSRC-MS-98-00527; CONF-980845-; ON: DE98057850; CNN: DE-AC09-96SR18500; TRN: 99:004743
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Beneficial reuse 1998, Knoxville, TN (United States), 3-6 Aug 1998; Other Information: PBD: 8 Jul 1998
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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