Requirements for Special Maintenance

DOE-STD-1128-98

Guide of Good Practices for Occupational Radiological Protection in Plutonium Facilities

In general, black Neoprene gloves are the standard glove-box glove and the most

economical to use where process conditions do not produce rapid glove

deterioration. However, alpha particles from surface dust layers can induce surface

cracking in black Neoprene. Hypalon 0 is more resistant to surface cracking, acid

deterioration, and ozone effects, and this characteristic will, in many cases, make

Hypalon gloves the most economical, despite their higher unit cost.

In recent years many new types of glove-box gloves have been developed. Glove

usage should be tailored to the particular needs of the job. For processes that

require maximum dexterity, the 0.014-in. (0.038-cm) Neoprene gloves are still

superior. Coated Hypalon gloves are superior to Neoprene for glove-box process

operations that involve nitric acid or ozone levels that may cause deterioration.

Ethylenepropylenediamine monomer (EPDM) gloves are used in some facilities

and have good flexibility and are resistant to degradation caused by radiation and

ozone. Greenhalgh et al. (1979) reported that Hypalon and EPDM gloves have

greater than 30 times the longevity of Neoprene in low-level ozone concentration

atmospheres. Viton gloves have proven to have a longer life than Neoprene gloves

under many operating conditions, but suffer somewhat from stiffness. Where high

gamma radiation levels are encountered, lead-loaded gloves may be necessary.

However, their stiffness and workers' loss of manual dexterity should be

considered in determining their influence on work efficiency and the total dose

received.

Persons who perform operations that involve microspheres of 238Pu, coated or

uncoated, should be aware that the heat generation of a single 100-m- to 200-m-

diameter sphere can melt through glove material. In addition, containment of a

quantity of microspheres, especially coated microspheres, is difficult because of

electrostatic repulsion. Microspheres have been observed climbing the walls of a

glass beaker and spreading throughout a glove box.

Glove storage problems occur occasionally. Experiments and static tests have not

provided an adequate explanation of the sporadic problems that have been

encountered. Test results in which gloves were stored under different lighting

conditions (ultraviolet and fluorescent) and under stressed conditions (creased or

bent) have not been consistent. Tests of gloves seem to indicate that glove

degradation is caused by the combined effect of ionizing radiation, ozone, and

lighting. The glove inventory should be rotated to prevent the inventory from

becoming outdated while on the shelf.

All gloves in normal use at plutonium processing installations should be inspected

prior to each use. All operating personnel should perform contamination self-

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