The impact of 40 years of radiation on the integrity of copper

Abstract

Cu piping previously used to carry process air was harvested from the now shutdown National Research Universal reactor at the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories site in Chalk River, Ontario. Metallurgical and microscopy examinations found no quantifiable differences between irradiated and non-irradiated sections of the pipe. This provides evidence for the safety case for the use of the Cu-coated used fuel container proposed by the Nuclear Waste Management Organization for the permanent disposal of high-level nuclear waste.