Nuclear material management in a glove box: a life cycle approach

MOX fuel has been fabricated in France for over 30 years and marries well-established fuel fabrication processes with mature plutonium management techniques. Plutonium management, and more broadly nuclear material management are of great importance for effective safeguarding of those plants as well as for product quality and commercial obligations. Glove boxes are key pieces of equipment in those plants, and represent a clearly identified step in nuclear material management. The glove box is also one of the few places in a plant where so-called “hidden inventory” can arise. The claim that such “hidden inventory” is under control, has not “disappeared”, and will be eventually recovered is substantiated by the feed back from dismantling glove boxes: there is indeed some nuclear material, which can be measured. The present article recalls the improvements which have been made over the years to minimize such “hidden inventory” in a glove box, by design and by operation, and to better track the nuclear material which could remain “stuck” inside the glove box; it then presents glove box dismantling experience with special emphasis on nuclear material control and accountancy.