Extended testing of an approved shipping container for plutonium compounds

This paper reviews the results of both the regulatory and extended testing of 18B plutonium packagings with simulated contents. The overpack is fabricated with two concentric steel tubes with axial and radial spacers. The intervening tube layers are filled with phenolic foam insulation, which provides both thermal and impact resistance. The T-shaped lid is of foamed construction and is designed to swage into the upper part of the inner tube assembly when stressed by a severe mechanical impact, thus providing an additional containment barrier. Results show that 18B can withstand long-duration fires and high velocity impacts. Ring stiffener modifications did not survive the high speed impact test in NUREG 0360