Report of an investigation into deterioration of the Plutonium Fuel Form Fabrication Facility (PuFF) at the DOE Savannah River Site

doi:10.2172/6246281

Title: Report of an investigation into deterioration of the Plutonium Fuel Form Fabrication Facility (PuFF) at the DOE Savannah River Site

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Abstract

This investigations of the Savannah River Site's Plutonium Fuel Form fabrication facility located in Building 235-F was initiated in April 1991. The purpose of the investigation was to determine whether, as has been alleged, operation of the facility's argon inert gas system was terminated with the knowledge that continued inoperability of the argon system would cause accelerated corrosion damage to the equipment in the plutonium 238 processing cells. The investigation quickly established that the decision to discontinue operation of the argon system, by not repairing it, was merely one of the measures, and not the most important one, which led to the current deteriorated state of the facility. As a result, the scope of the investigation was broadened to more identify and assess those factors which contributed to the facility's current condition. This document discusses the backgrounds, results, and recommendations of this investigation.

Publication Date:: 1991-10-01

Research Org.:: USDOE Office of Nuclear Safety, Washington, DC (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)

OSTI Identifier:: 6246281

Report Number(s):: DOE/NS-0002P
ON: DE92002946

Resource Type:: Technical Report

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; CORROSION; INVESTIGATIONS; EQUIPMENT; FUEL FABRICATION PLANTS; SHUTDOWN; PLUTONIUM 238; PRODUCTION; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; ACCIDENTS; AGING; ALARM SYSTEMS; DECONTAMINATION; HOT CELLS; MAINTENANCE; MANIPULATORS; PLANNING; RECOMMENDATIONS; VENTILATION SYSTEMS; WEAR; ACTINIDE ISOTOPES; ACTINIDE NUCLEI; ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES; ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; CHEMICAL REACTIONS; CLEANING; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; HEAVY ION DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; HEAVY NUCLEI; ISOTOPES; LABORATORY EQUIPMENT; MATERIALS HANDLING EQUIPMENT; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; NUCLEI; PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES; RADIOISOTOPES; REMOTE HANDLING EQUIPMENT; SILICON 32 DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; SPONTANEOUS FISSION RADIOISOTOPES; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOT; 050700* - Nuclear Fuels- Fuels Production & Properties; 053000 - Nuclear Fuels- Environmental Aspects

Citation Formats


                    . Report of an investigation into deterioration of the Plutonium Fuel Form Fabrication Facility (PuFF) at the DOE Savannah River Site.  United States: N. p., 1991. 
        Web.  doi:10.2172/6246281.

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                    . Report of an investigation into deterioration of the Plutonium Fuel Form Fabrication Facility (PuFF) at the DOE Savannah River Site.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.2172/6246281

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                    . 1991.  
        "Report of an investigation into deterioration of the Plutonium Fuel Form Fabrication Facility (PuFF) at the DOE Savannah River Site".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.2172/6246281.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/6246281.

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@article{osti_6246281,

  title        = {Report of an investigation into deterioration of the Plutonium Fuel Form Fabrication Facility (PuFF) at the DOE Savannah River Site},

  author       = {},

  abstractNote = {This investigations of the Savannah River Site's Plutonium Fuel Form fabrication facility located in Building 235-F was initiated in April 1991. The purpose of the investigation was to determine whether, as has been alleged, operation of the facility's argon inert gas system was terminated with the knowledge that continued inoperability of the argon system would cause accelerated corrosion damage to the equipment in the plutonium 238 processing cells. The investigation quickly established that the decision to discontinue operation of the argon system, by not repairing it, was merely one of the measures, and not the most important one, which led to the current deteriorated state of the facility. As a result, the scope of the investigation was broadened to more identify and assess those factors which contributed to the facility's current condition. This document discusses the backgrounds, results, and recommendations of this investigation.},

  doi          = {10.2172/6246281},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6246281},
  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {1991},

  month        = {10}

}

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