SHIELDED SHIPPING CONTAINER FOR FISSILE MATERIAL CLASS I OR LARGE QUANTITIES OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL.

A small, well-shielded shipping container has been designed to accommodate whole or sectioned irradiated fast reactor fuel eSements and associated hardware and components in compliance with existing regulatory requirements. Background material and approvals are given in appendixes. Analytical Sample Shipping Cask The selection of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory as one of the sites at which irradiated fuel elements are to be examined in support of the Fast Breeder Reactor Program necessitated consideration of, and provision for, adequate shipping containers for highly irradiated fuel elements prototypical of those used in that program. Small samples of fuel sections, irradiated cladding, capsule hardware, and other components, as well as the fuel elements, are expected to be shipped. Existing casks are disproportionately heavy or inadequate as to cavity size and shape, necessitating the consideration of design criteria for a small cask capable of accommodating up to 3 kg of any fissile material or materials and "large quantities"* of other radioactive material. Radiologies] Safety No exception is made to applicable external radiation levels. Inner containment is designed so as to provide essentially contamination-free transfers from highly contaminated containment boxes. *Terms marked by an asterisk are defined <n Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 173.389, "Radioactive Materials, Definitions." The recipient of a radioactive shipment is provided with the followir<5 information prior to or at the time of shipping. a. Appropriate sketches showing the containers used in packaging, and identification and location within the containers of their contents. b. An assembly drawing of the shipping cask. A photograph may also be supplied if required. c. Any technical detail regarding the encapsulated samples, such as the contamination level of the inner containers, beta-gamma activity levels of the samples, and physical conditions of the samples are discussed with the recipient prior to shipment. Design Criteria The packaging will consist of a right cylindrical weldment, which is a steel encased, depleted uranium shielded cask about 14 in. in diameter, 21 in. long, estimated to weight 2,000 lb. A driin with fusible plug will be provided.