Container for long-term storage of radioactive material, and method and apparatus for manufacturing the container

A method for manufacturing a long-term storage container for storage of radioactive material to inhibit radioactive radiation therefrom, said container having a bottom and upright wall extending therefrom to the outside of the container, the top of said container to be closed off by a screw-on lid, said container having an integral inner container part of a first material with a bottom and upright wall, an integral outer container part of a second material with a bottom and upright wall, and radioactive radiation inhibiting material in an inter-space between the walls and bottoms of said inner and outer container parts;

• the method comprising:
• integrally casting in a first mould through injection moulding a first container part having a bottom and a wall,
• integrally casting in a second and separately located mould through injection or pressure moulding an inter-space container part of said radioactive radiation inhibiting material, said inter-space container part having a bottom and a wall and forming a second container part, and removing said inter-space container part from the second mould,
• separating the first container part from a first part of the first mould which formed exterior side wall and bottom faces of the first integral container part,
• providing the first mould with a second part having a third mould
• placing said inter-space container in fitting engagement with said exterior faces of the first container part to form a first assembly of container parts, the first container part being in engagement with a portion of the second part of the first mould;
• locating in the third mould the first assembly of container parts and causing said inter-space container part to be in spaced relationship to a mould member of the third mould, so as to form a cavity between the mould member of the third mould and the outside of the inter-space container part, the second part of the first mould having a portion inside the first container part to support it during moulding in the third mould, and a top of the second part of the first mould configured to be used to close off an open end of said mould member of the third mould,
• through injection moulding into said cavity integrally casting a third container part having a side wall and a bottom, and
• removing from the third mould a second assembly of container parts formed by the first, second and third container parts to provide said storage container.