Reinforced Radiological Containment Bag
AssigneeSavannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC
InventorsAaron L. Washington, II, Michael G. Serrato
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Abstract
Radiological containment bags for use in storing alpha particle emitting waste are described. The radiological containment bags are formed of a multilayer film with an inner layer of the film being a sacrificial layer that lies between the interior of the bag and a structural polymeric layer. The sacrificial layer includes a flexible composite material that in turn includes a polymeric matrix and an alpha particle energy absorber incorporated in the polymeric matrix. The sacrificial layer can include a chromophore that can detect early degradation of the sacrificial material.
Claims30
A flexible composite material, the flexible composite material including a polymeric matrix and an alpha particle energy absorber incorporated in the polymeric matrix.
The radiological containment bag of claim 30, the polymeric layer comprising a polyurethane, a polyolefin, a polyvinyl chloride, or a blend or copolymer thereof.
The radiological containment bag of claim 30, the polymeric layer comprising polyethylene.
The radiological containment bag of claim 30, the polymeric layer comprising a colorant.
The radiological containment bag of claim 30, the polymeric layer and the polymeric matrix comprising the same polymer.
The radiological containment bag of claim 30, the multilayer film further comprising a detection layer, the detection layer being closer to the outer surface of the multilayer film as compared to the polymeric layer, the detection layer comprising a chromophore, the photonic emission characteristics and/or the color of the chromophore varying in a detectable fashion upon degradation of the detection layer.
A method for forming a radiological containment bag, the method comprising:
- combining a polymer with an alpha particle energy absorber to form a composite material;
- applying the composite material to a surface of a polymeric layer to form a multilayer film including a sacrificial layer on the surface of the polymeric layer, the sacrificial layer comprising the composite material;
- and
- manipulating the multilayer film to form a radiological containment bag, the multilayer film being manipulated such that the multilayer film has an inner surface facing an interior of the radiological containment bag and has an opposite outer surface, the sacrificial layer being closer to the inner surface as compared to the polymeric layer.
A method for storing radiological materials, the method comprising:
- placing radiological materials in a containment bag defining an interior, the radiological materials comprising alpha particle emitting materials, the containment bag comprising a multilayer film including a sacrificial layer and a polymeric layer, the sacrificial layer being closer to the interior of the containment bag as compared to the polymeric layer, the sacrificial layer comprising an alpha particle energy absorber, at least one layer of the multilayer film comprising a chromophore, the chromophore exhibiting a detectable variation in photonic emission characteristics and/or color upon degradation of the at least one layer due to alpha particle emission by the radiological materials;
- and
- monitoring the containment bag for the detectable variation in the photonic emission characteristics.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.