The Development of Tritium Technology

DOE-HDBK-1132-99

Damage

Utility of Plastic

Mild to moderate

Often satisfactory

Moderate to severe

Limited use

Alkyl aromatics

Ethers

Mineral oils

Esters

Polyglycols

Silicons

Silicates

Phosphates

Chlorofluorocarbons

Fluorinated compounds

106

107

108

109

1010

Gamma Exposure, Rads (C)

FIGURE 6. Relative radiation resistance of base oils.

pattern slowly changes from one of a reverse surface contamination model to

one of a reverse outgassing model (i.e., the level of outgassing from any given

surface can be expected to increase until it too reaches a steady-state,

equilibrium level with its own local environment).

The Development of Tritium Technology. In the preceding sections, we have

2.10.7

taken a look at the basic physical and chemical properties of tritium that

designers have to contend with but have little or no control over. In reality,

these are the things that designers must accommodate. The sections that

follow describe the design and operational philosophies that have evolved over

the years.

During the first two decades of the development of tritium technology,

operational techniques were designed primarily to protect the worker from

exposures to tritium. By the late 1950s, it had firmly been established that

exposures to tritium in the form of tritiated water vapor (i.e., T2O, or, more

correctly, HTO) could be as much as 25,000 times more hazardous than

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