Use of borosilicate glass in fissile operations at Savannah River (U)

The Naval Fuel facility, located at the Savannah River Site, manufactures fuel for the Naval Reactor program. The facility incorporates the use of six-inch- diameter borosilicate glass columns manifolded together for the majority of the fissile solution processing and storage. The use of the glass and the reliance on the natural neutron poisons in the glass, specifically 10B, allows for a larger diameter column vessel and a closer column spacing than most other columnar vessel configurations. The use of the glass has resulted in a greater reliance on the materials of construction and fewer administrative controls, while providing an adequate margin of safety for facility operation