Packaging Options for Materials Processed Through the SRNL Mobile Plutonium Facility

The Savannah River National Laboratory’s Mobile Plutonium Facility (MPF) is a deployable facility to characterize, stabilize, and package at-risk, weapons-grade nuclear materials. The MPF packaging program consists of three main parts; 1) primary packaging, 2) packaging for residual materials, and 3) packaging unique materials. The MPF utilizes DOE certified Type-B packages for the bulk of the materials that are processed through the facility. The residual materials are packaged into drums and/or specially designed bags that are qualified for confining these materials. Finally, special and unique materials are packaged into modified containers and are then certified to be within the DOE, DOT, and IAEA regulations for transport of nuclear materials. This paper discusses the process for the selection, the use, and the shipment of these packagings.