ASTM Int'l Develops Practice for Designers of Neutron Absorbers - ASTM C 1671

December 10, 2007 // Published as a news service by IHS

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ASTM International Committee C26 on Nuclear Fuel Cycle developed ASTM C 1671 - Practice for Qualification and Acceptance of Boron Based Metallic Neutron Absorbers for Nuclear Criticality Control for Dry Cask Storage Systems and Transportation Packaging.

Neutron absorbers were used for criticality control in spent nuclear fuel pools and in spent fuel transportation casks for decades, according to ASTM International.

However, since the late 1980s, as spent fuel storage pools were filled, utilities transferred spent fuel into dry dual-purpose (storage/transportation) canisters.

The neutron absorbers used in dual-purpose canisters are subjected to different operating conditions than materials used in spent fuel pools, said ASTM International.

James Hobbs, Nuclear Fuel Services and C26 member, said that the standard was developed because there were several existing material suppliers, new suppliers in the process of qualifying new products, canister designers/suppliers and testing organizations using one or more of the several approved but different approaches to qualification and acceptance testing.

"The [Nuclear Regulatory Commission] NRC wanted to codify industry practices and develop a consensus industry standard to guide canister designers, neutron absorber manufacturers and the end-users toward a consistent approach for qualification and acceptance testing, as well as to provide the NRC with a consistent basis for evaluating new materials for regulatory approval," said Hobbs.

"The standard provides a consistent basis for qualification and acceptance for a variety of different material and different canister designs."

ASTM C 1671 is under the jurisdiction of Subcommittee C26.03 on Neutron Absorber Materials Specifications.

The task group responsible for ASTM C 1671will be working on a standard for neutron absorber material to be used by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for its transportation, aging and disposal (TAD) canister system, said ASTM International.

The DOE qualified one material, which is grade A borated stainless steel for use in TAD canisters.

Source: ASTM International.