APPARATUS FOR STUDYING TRITIUM RECOVERY FROM HARD WASTE

Detriation studies are critical for assessing the feasibility and cost s of the ITER disposal plan for tritiated waste. A flexible apparatus has been commissioned for studying the detritiation of hard waste samp les, by heating, melting, or dissolving them in molten metal. It is in stalled in a new laboratory approved for the simultaneous handling of tritium and beryllium. R.F. heating means the specimen temperature is limited only by the crucible material. A filter confines beryllium con tamination to the silica glass specimen tube. There is independent con trol of carrier gas flow rate and pressure at any value between 10(-7) mbar and 1 bar. All tubing is warmed to allow the use of wet carrier gases, and to reduce tritium memory. No organic materials are used. A specially constructed low-memory bakable ionization chamber and all-gl ass bubbler-set enable sensitive measurements of the tritium outgassin g with minimised memory effects.