FINAL SAFETY ANALYSIS REPORT OF AMERICIUM PROCESSING TO BE PERFORMED BY THE MARTIN COMPANY

Technical Report · Sun May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1960

OSTI ID:4125438

Watcher, J

A process for purifying Am/sup 241/ and a Heavy Element Processing Facility for the subsequent fabrication of AmO/sub 2/--Al elements are described. Features of the facility site in terms of population density, meteorology, geology, hydrology, and aircraft incidents are discussed. Process, monitering, and safety equipment are listed and described. By a series of ion exchange and precipitation operations, the Am/sup 241/ is reduced to americium oxalate. which is heated to 500 deg C, converting ths oxalate to AmO/sub 2/. The AmO/sub 2/ is combined with aluminum powder in a ratio of 1 to 26.6 and compacted into aluminum sleeves. The hazards associated with handling americium are a result of alpha particle emission and pyrophoricity of the element. Radiation hazands due to gamma rays and neutrons are considered to be minor. Hazands associated with irradiation of the Am--Al elements and waste disposal are discussed. (C.J.G.)

• Research Organization: Martin Co. Nuclear Div., Baltimore
• DOE Contract Number: AT(30-3)-217
• NSA Number: NSA-15-000238
• OSTI ID: 4125438
• Report Number(s): MND-P-2347
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ACCIDENTS
AIR
AIRCRAFT
ALUMINUM
AMERICIUM
AMERICIUM 241
AMERICIUM OXIDES
CHEMISTRY
COMPACTS
CONVERSION
DENSITY
ELEMENTS
EMISSION
FABRICATION
GAMMA RADIATION
GEOLOGY
HAZARDS
HEATING
HYDROLOGY
ION EXCHANGE
IRRADIATION
METEOROLOGY
MONITORING
NEUTRONS
OXALATES
PARTICLES
PERFORMANCE
POPULATIONS
POWDERS
PRECIPITATION
PYROPHORIC
REDUCTION
SAFETY
TEMPERATURE
WASTE DISPOSAL