Development of a Rebrazeable Containment System for Special Nuclear Material Storage and Transport

A novel means of closing and sealing small type B radioactive material transport packages for surface or air transport as governed by 10CFR71 or NUREG-0360 has been developed at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). This method is a controlled brazing process that may be used to attach and seal a closure lid to a containment vessel and then remove it at a later time. The process may be performed multiple times without the need for special preparations of the braze joint. A number of advantages for utilization of this technique have been determined. A brazed seal has integrity at high temperatures for better protection in accident or abnormal environments. A properly designed joint has essentially the same strength as the parent metal. A closure that is brazed, therefore, will no longer be the anticipated point of failure for a broad range of accident environments. This technique will allow the containment vessel design to be optimized with a lighter, more uniform wall thickness throughout. Finally, with a well-defmed process for sealing, mechanical inspection, leak testing, and then reopening at a later time, automation of the process is relatively straightforward, and the overall system should be as easy to use as one that utilizes elastomeric seals for containment.