Packaging of plutonium and high-enriched uranium safeguards samples for transport

A method for accommodating both the processing and first-level transportation packaging for plutonium safeguards samples was developed for dry samples of reduced size, to replace an older method that utilized larger samples in liquid form. This method utilizes a quartz vial sealed within a metal canister, which in turn is contained within two sealed containment vessels. This packaging has proved to be both rugged and supportive of highly accurate plutonium assay procedures: The quartz vials, when packaged properly, do not break or lose any contents under severe overtests of the normal conditions of transport; and, the standards of assay accuracy associated with a previous packaging and analysis method have been maintained. 8 figures