Tritiated waste management - tritiated oil packaging and decontamination

Tritium Handling facilities often have oil lubricated vacuum pumps in active portions of tritium systems. The interaction of tritium with the oil can lead to the formation of various classes of tritiated species, both volatile and non-volatile. These tritiated species can cause problems in terms of handling, dosimetry and ultimate waste disposal. Knowledge of these species and their relative concentrations will allow the safe and cost effective use of oil-filled pumps in tritium environments. In order to understand more accurately the specific dosimetry hazards, improve handling procedures and minimize waste volumes, the distribution of tritium amongst the several classes of tritiated species was determined. The change in tritium content and distribution over time was also determined. 7 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs