Remote disassembly of irradiated tritium-bearing lithium-bonded capsules

Conference · Thu Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1994

OSTI ID:90204

Tsai, H; Strain, R V; Donahue, D A; Savoie, F E; Evans, D A; Neimark, L A ^[1]

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1. Argonne National Lab., IL (United States). Energy Technology Div.

Seven irradiated tritium-bearing lithium-bonded capsules containing vanadium alloy specimens were disassembled in a hot-cell facility at Argonne National Laboratory. These capsules were irradiated in the Fast Flux Test Facility as part of the structural materials research for the Fusion Power Program. The principal concern in disassembling these capsules to retrieve the test specimens was the hazard associated with the residual bonded tritium, which ranged from {approximately}17 to 99 Ci per capsule. This tritium had to be contained to the maximum extent possible. An enclosed system was built in which the authors used liquid ammonia to dissolve the lithium bond, alcohol to rinse and clean the retrieved specimens, and chemical getters (containing a reactive metal alloy) to trap the released tritium gas. The main processing units of the system are inside a hot cell and the remainder are in a vented cabinet. Essentially all of the tritium in the capsules was either trapped in the getters or confined in the solid reaction residues in beakers of spent ammonia and alcohol. There was no personnel contamination or accidental tritium release during the entire procedure.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 90204
• Report Number(s): ANL/ET/CP--82671; CONF-950232--37; ON: DE95013687
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
42 ENGINEERING
ANL
CONTAINMENT
DISSOLUTION
FFTF REACTOR
FUEL ASSEMBLY DISMANTLING
HOT CELLS
IRRADIATION CAPSULES
PERFORMANCE
REMOTE HANDLING
REMOTE HANDLING EQUIPMENT
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTOR MATERIALS
TRITIUM