Liquid Sampling Lines

DOE-HDBK-3010-94

Appendix B; Production Support Lab

Gloveboxes handling high-plutonium content solutions collect the unused sample portions of

these solutions in two-liter plastic jugs. When these jugs become full, they are removed

from the glovebox, placed inside a metal pail, and transferred back to the H-1 sampling line

for recycle into the process. In a similar manner, solids are collected in individual vials until

a preset limit is reached. The old limit was 10 sample vials, which has been adjusted down

to 5 due to changes in transfer procedures in the Plutonium Recovery Facility. The vials are

placed inside a metal can, which is sealed and removed from the glovebox for transfer to the

H-1 feed preparation line to be burned to oxide for recycle into the process.

Solid waste is normally removed from the gloveboxes via bagports. Low-level liquid waste

generated during the formation of aliquots is fed to a drain, which leads to a 200-gallon

liquid waste collection tank in the ventilation fan and plenum room. When this tank becomes

full, it is sampled and sent to the H-8 liquid waste treatment facility.

Minimum critical quantities of plutonium are not handled in any one glovebox, and all

analytical gloveboxes are generically limited to 400 grams of plutonium. This limit is not

reached when gloveboxes are operating. The procedures of the lab are currently being

reviewed to determine if operating inventories can be reduced sufficiently to make the lab a

Hazard Category 3 facility.

3.2.2 L iq u id S am p lin g L in es

There are two identical liquid sampling lines due to the larger number of liquid samples

processed as compared to solid samples. Each sampling line contains a storage rack that can

hold up to 30 20-ml sample vials at a time. The glovebox consists of three major stations:

(1) the densitometer station, (2) the aliquotting station, and (3) the extraction and drying

station.

The densitometer station serves to allow density measurements of plutonium solutions if

desired. The aliquotting station has a small water supply station that also houses the low-

level waste drain. At this station, a small portion of the sample can be diluted by several

orders of magnitude to allow for later counting.

The extraction and drying station contains a 50-ml bottle of a hexone-based solvent, which is

used to extract plutonium from americium for a small portion of a sample. The plutonium

transfers to the organic layer, an aliquot of which is then pipetted to a stainless steel disc and

evaporated under an infrared lamp. The disc is then sealed with a thin coating and removed

from the glovebox for counting. Americium aliquots are prepared from the aqueous layer and

either dried or transferred to a small vial for counting.

Page B-93