ANYL 52 |
| Since the Department of Energy first produced plutonium, storage has been a concern and a problem; the radioactive decay of plutonium causes oxidation and degradation of many materials. At Los Alamos National Laboratory, plutonium has been stored in many different types of containers including stainless steel cans, tin paint cans, food pack cans, and plastic bottles. With time a new, more advanced storage can has emerged as the standard. Los Alamos is currently undertaking an effort to repackage all material stored in older containers into the newer, safer containers. During our repackaging campaign, we have found that many older containers have degraded, some to the point of failure. Typical failure modes include discoloration and brittleness of bags and tape, and disintegration, rusting, and bulging cans. Our poster presents information about observed failure modes and how they were repackaged. |
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General Papers
7:00 PM-9:00 PM, Sunday, 10 September 2006 Moscone Center -- Hall D, Poster
Division of Analytical Chemistry |