Aerosol measurements from plasma torch cuts on stainless steel, carbon steel, and aluminum
The main purpose of this project is to quantify aerosol particle size and generation rates produced by a plasma torch whencutting stainless steel, carbon steel and aluminum. the plasma torch is a common cutting tool used in the dismantling of nuclear facilities. Eventually, other cutting tools will be characterized and the information will be compiled in a user guide to aid in theplanning of both D&D and other cutting operations. The data will be taken from controlled laboratory experiments on uncontaminated metals and field samples taken during D&D operations at ANL nuclear facilities. The plasma torch data was collected from laboratory cutting tests conducted inside of a closed, filtered chamber. The particle size distributions were determined by isokinetically sampling the exhaust duct using a cascade impactor. Cuts on different thicknesses showed there was no observable dependence of the aerosol quantity produced as a function of material thickness for carbon steel. However, data for both stainless steel and aluminum revealed that the aerosol mass produced for these materials appear to have some dependance on thickness, with thinner materials producing tmore aerosols. The results of the laboratory cutting tests show that most measured particle size distributions are bimodal with one mode at about 0.2 {mu}m and the other at about 10 {mu}m. The average Mass Median Aerodynamic Diameters (MMAD`s) for these tests are 0.36 {+-}0.08 {mu}m for stainless steel, 0.48 {+-}0.17{mu}m for aluminum and 0.52{+-}0.12 {mu}m for carbon steel.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31-109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 212430
- Report Number(s):
- ANL/TD/CP-88550; CONF-960443-1; ON: DE96004296; TRN: 96:020688
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: American Nuclear Society (ANS) topical meeting on decontamination and decommissioning, Chicago, IL (United States), 14-17 Apr 1996; Other Information: PBD: [1996]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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