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Author
Powers, C. S.
Title
Safety Analysis Report 231-Z Building.
Coporate
Battelle Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA
Report
BNWL-CC-1924, March 1989, 81 p.
Distribution
Available from National Technical Information Service
Keywords
nuclear reactors | nuclear reactor safety | plutonium | fuels
Abstract
The 231-Z Building, located in 200-West Area of the Hanford reservation, is utilized for metallurgical research on plutonium and its alloys, and for fabrication development work on plutonium components and reactor fuels containing plutonium or other alpha emitting materials. The laboratory is operated for the USAEC by Pacific Northwest Laboratories of the Battelle Memorial Institute. Large quantities of plutonium, from 100 to 200 kilograms, are routinely handled and stored. Nearly all operations involve plutonium metal in the dry or unmoderated state. Plutonium research and development activity is conducted in categories of physical metallurgy, property determination, alloy development, and process development. Sponsorship is 80 - 85% USAEC Division of Military Application; 10% USAEC Division of Research; and 5 - 10% other, including service to PWL and ohter Hanford components. The operations performed involve working with plutonium in quantities varying from small metallographic samples (fraction of a gram) to large parts weighing up to several kilograms. Research and development activities include melting, alloying, casting, machining, rolling, pressing, forging, electron beam welding, and vapor deposition of plutonium and plutonium alloys. Metallurgy research operations include metallography, electron microscopy, dilatometry, density determination, electron microprobe, x-ray diffraction, high temperature and high speed properties determination, and room temperature property determination.