A Plutonium Storage Container Pressure Measurement Technique

Plutonium oxide and metal awaiting final disposition are currently stored at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in crimp sealed food pack cans. Surveillances to ensure continued safe storage of the cans include periodic lid deflection measurements using a mechanical device. Trending the lid deflection measurements over time indicates whether tightly sealed cans are pressurizing or depressurizing. Both phenomena may result in reduced can integrity and ultimately in containment failure. Periodic lid deflection measurements have been taken on over 400 cans, and the vast majority indicate no changes in internal pressure. However, several cans were repackaged due to trends in lid deflection which indicated gradual but steady pressure decrease within the container over time. There have been no food can failures since the surveillance program has been instituted. Several cans have been repackaged which would have certainly failed.