Packaging Process - std301320040051

DOE-STD-3013-2004

area of metal-metal contact that will occur in practice. In addition, problems of

this type have not been observed in numerous applications involving direct

plutonium-stainless steel interactions, including stainless steel clad nuclear fuels

[Louthan 1998]. Failure of inner welded cans by this mechanism therefore

appears to be highly unlikely.

3. The assurance of safe storage embodied in this Standard rests on the premise that

the outer storage container is capable of withstanding credible pressure, corrosion,

etc. In the case of pressurization, this is accomplished by ensuring that the design

pressure of the container is greater than the theoretical ability of the contained

materials to pressurize with time, as determined by the bounding pressure

calculation derived in Appendix B. One way to provide this assurance is to provide

sufficient free gas volume in the container to accommodate the worst possible gas

evolution and expansion. By using the limiting conditions of a minimum design

pressure of 4927 kPa (699 psig), a gas temperature of 211C (412F), a container

heat generation rate of 19 watts, and a moisture content of 0.5 wt%, it is

straightforward to show that a minimum of 0.25 liters of free volume is required for

every kilogram of oxide in the container to keep the bounding pressure below the

design pressure (see Section B.3.3.4 in Appendix B).

A.6.3.3

Packaging Process

1. Some oxide packages may contain foreign materials such as metal items and

processing debris. These materials should be removed from the oxide prior to

packaging. Items may be removed manually or by screening the powder, and can be

removed either before or after stabilization.

2. Because the oxide (including contained impurities) will pick up atmospheric water, it

is important that the sample taken for moisture analysis be representative of the

material actually packaged into the storage container. This can be done, for

example, by controlling the glovebox atmosphere and/or packaging within a very few

minutes of sampling.

3. This Standard prohibits packaging materials that may corrode the containment

system. The primary corrosion mechanisms of interest are pitting and stress

corrosion cracking.