Evaluation of Material Flaws Identified During Fabrication Leak Testing of a 304L Containment Vessel

Savannah River National Laboratory has designed the Bulk Tritium Shipping Package (BTSP) as a replacement for the UC609 which was designed in the early 1970s. In the course of prototype package fabrication four components of the containment vessel boundary failed helium leak testing due to material flaws in the base material. Leak testing was being performed in accordance with ANSI N14.5, Radioactive Materials-Leak Tests on Packages for Shipment. This paper addresses the ASME Section III test requirements for components and the failure mode of the base material. Additionally, the paper discusses the process used to correct the flaws for this application and recommendations for eliminating this potential in future applications.