Glovebox Glove Research Articles

On the radio-oxidation, at high doses, of an industrial polyesterurethane and its pure resin

The polymers inside the technological waste packages degrade under radio-oxidation. In the context of the geological nuclear waste storage, the long-term behavior of these polymers must be better understood, especially at high doses. The general objective is to ensure the safety of the geological underground repository.In this study, we focus on an industrial polyesterurethane, used as glovebox gloves, and its pure resin. These two materials were radio-oxidized at different high doses. The modifications induced by irradiation using low stopping power ionizing rays were assessed through the study of the gas release, the in-chain modifications, and the formation of oxidation products of low molecular mass.Gas mass spectrometry was used to quantify the gas release with exposure doses up to 4000 kGy for the pure material and 10 000 kGy for the industrial polymer: the evolution with dose is weak and is increasing only in the case of carbon dioxide. The in-chain modifications were identified by infrared spectroscopy or X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and correspond probably mainly to the formation of hydroperoxides, hydroxyls and ketones, along with alkenes. By GC-MS or thermodesorption analyses, oxidation products trapped in the polymer matrixes are identified and are esters, carboxylic acids, alcohols, an aromatic molecule and oligomers.

Flexible alpha camera for detecting plutonium contamination

We developed a new imaging detector called flexible alpha camera that can identify Pu contamination in narrow spaces at work sites. The thickness of the flexible alpha camera is only ∼1/5th that of the ZnS(Ag) scintillation detector which is commonly used for detecting Pu contamination, and its efficiency in the 4-pi direction is 42.7% for 5.5-MeV alpha particles. The minimal detectable activity (MDA) is 0.014 Bq measured in 30 min. Four types of PuO2 samples, taken from a duct, bag-in/bag-out port, glovebox glove, and vinyl sheet, were measured by the flexible alpha camera. In a two-dimensional distribution of alpha particles, PuO2 was identified automatically using the “AnalyzeParticle” function in the ImageJ plugin, and its activity was evaluated. When acquisition time increased from 10 min to 30 min, a Pu spot with low activity was identified. To verify the measurement in narrow space, a fume hood to which a PuO2 particle was attached was measured using the flexible alpha camera. Since the flexible alpha camera has the thin-thickness of 12 mm and can obtain two-dimensional distribution and energy spectrum of alpha particles, it is effective for detecting Pu contamination in narrow spaces of equipment.

The Laboratory for Laser Energetics’ Hydrogen Isotope Separation System

The University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics has commissioned a hydrogen Isotope Separation System (ISS). The ISS uses two columns—palladium on kieselguhr and molecular sieve—that act in a complementary manner to separate the hydrogen species by mass. The 4-sL per day throughput system is compact and has no moving parts. The columns and the attendant gas storage and handling subsystems are housed in a 0.8-m3 glovebox. The glovebox uses a helium cover gas that is continuously processed to extract oxygen and water vapor that permeates through the glovebox gloves and any tritium that is released while attaching or detaching vessels to add feedstock to or drawing product from the system. The isotopic separation process is automated and does not require manual intervention. A total of 315TBq of tritium was extracted from 23.6sL of hydrogen with tritium purities reaching 99.5%. Deuterium was the sole residual component in the processed gas. Raffinate contained 0.2TBq of activity was captured for reprocessing. The total emission from the system to the environment was 0.4GBq over three weeks.

A case history in glovebox glove selection

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVFeatureNEXTA case history in glovebox glove selectionL. CadwalladerL. CadwalladerMore by L. Cadwallader, R. PawelkoR. PawelkoMore by R. Pawelko, and P. HumrickhouseP. HumrickhouseMore by P. HumrickhouseCite this: J. Chem. Health Saf. 2016, 23, 3, 10–11Publication Date (Web):May 1, 2016Publication History Published online1 May 2016Published inissue 1 May 2016https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jchas.2015.08.002© 2015 American Chemical SocietyRIGHTS & PERMISSIONSArticle Views42Altmetric-Citations-LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated. Share Add toView InAdd Full Text with ReferenceAdd Description ExportRISCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore Options Share onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InReddit Read OnlinePDF (553 KB) Get e-Alerts

Effects of glovebox gloves on grip and key pinch strength and contact forces for simulated manual operations with three commonly used hand tools

This study examined the effects of glovebox gloves for 11 females on maximum grip and key pinch strength and on contact forces generated from simulated tasks of a roller, a pair of tweezers and a crescent wrench. The independent variables were gloves fabricated of butyl, CSM/hypalon and neoprene materials; two glove thicknesses; and layers of gloves worn including single, double and triple gloving. CSM/hypalon and butyl gloves produced greater grip strength than the neoprene gloves. CSM/hypalon gloves also lowered contact forces for roller and wrench tasks. Single gloving and thin gloves improved hand strength performances. However, triple layers lowered contact forces for all tasks. Based on the evaluating results, selection and design recommendations of gloves for three hand tools were provided to minimise the effects on hand strength and optimise protection of the palmar hand in glovebox environments.

Investigation of radiation protection observation data at a nuclear facility

Programmatic operations at the Los Alamos National Laboratory Plutonium Facility (TA-55) involve working with various amounts of plutonium and other highly toxic, alpha-emitting materials. The spread of radiological contamination on surfaces, airborne contamination, and excursions of contaminants into the operator's breathing zone are controlled through the Radiological Protection Program (RPP). A key element of the program is in-field monitoring of radiological conditions, observations, and incidents reports. The Los Alamos National Laboratory Radiation Protection Observation System (RPO), supported by the Health Physics Operations Group, captures, documents, and records radiological conditions, observations, or incidents that are considered off-normal. The RPO database has been mined for glovebox glove event detection data. Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma (LSS) business practices have been employed to identify statistically significant variations (trends) in RPO reports. An input metric has been developed that measure glovebox glove event detection opportunities. This information has been incorporated into a visual format that management can use to make decisions. The results presented in this paper are pivotal to the ultimate focus of the TA-55 RPP, which is to maintain radiation exposures well below regulatory limits, minimize the number of contamination events, and prevent uncontrolled releases.

Causal analysis of a glovebox glove breach

Programmatic operations at the Los Alamos National Laboratory Plutonium Facility (TA-55) involve working with plutonium and other highly toxic, alpha-emitting materials in gloveboxes. Evaluating the glovebox configuration, the glovebox gloves are the weakest part of this engineering control. Recognizing this vulnerability, the TA-55 Glovebox Glove Integrity Program (GGIP) was developed to minimize loss of confinement of the glovebox through an opening in the glove, i.e., a breach or failure. A key element of this program is to perform causal analyses of breaches and failures. In the following report, the causal analysis methodology is defined below, and one case study is presented. The contributing factors that caused a marble size hole in glovebox glove during the repair of an auger are analyzed. Underlying conditions, decisions, actions, and inactions that contribute to the event are identified. This includes weaknesses that may warrant improvements that tolerate error. Measures that reduce consequences or likelihood of recurrence are discussed.

Microscopic analysis of glovebox glove failures and breaches: Part II

At the Los Alamos National Laboratory Plutonium Facility, gloveboxes are used to confine plutonium to prevent uncontrolled releases of the element. From a structural design standpoint, glovebox gloves are the weakest part of the glovebox system. As a continuation of a previous paper, data generated from microscopic analysis are used to identify the causes of glove failures. This paper illustrates three cases in which microscopic analyses have helped determine the causes of three glove breaches. Photographs illustrate examples of cuts and tears. Sectioning a breach caused by grinding show the rough surface of the breach. Another glove failure is caused by exposure to strong acid.

Microscopic analysis of glovebox glove failures and breaches

Programmatic operations at the Los Alamos National Laboratory Plutonium Facility (TA-55) involve working with plutonium and other highly toxic, alpha-emitting materials. The spread of radiological contamination on surfaces, airborne contamination, and excursions of contaminants into the operator's breathing zone are prevented using gloveboxes. The TA-55 Glovebox Safety Program augments this passive safety feature. A key element of this program is to perform microscopic analyses of glovebox glove failures and breaches when their causes are unknown. Initial examinations provide little information about the causes of failures and breaches. This has prompted the development of an instrument that permits cross-sections of glove perforations to be studied. This paper discusses the methodology used to perform microscopic analysis of failures and breaches. It presents three case studies in which microscopic analyses have helped to determine the causes of the glove openings.

Glovebox glove dexterity comparison

Programmatic operations at the Los Alamos National Laboratory Plutonium Facility (TA-55) involve working with various amounts of plutonium and other highly toxic, alpha-emitting materials. The spread of radiological contamination on surfaces, airborne contamination, and excursions of contaminants into the operator's breathing zone are prevented through the use of a variety of gloveboxes (the glovebox, coupled with an adequate negative pressure gradient, provides primary confinement). The glovebox gloves are the weakest part of this engineering control and also result in decreased dexterity. The two main types of glovebox gloves used at TA-55 are made from chlorosulphonated polyethylene (CSM) and CSM with an inner lead oxide layer. In an effort to strengthen glovebox gloves, Polyurethane has been added to the formulations. Experiments have been conducted on three models of Polyurethane/CSM glovebox gloves (13-mil, 20-mil, 22-mil) as well as Polyurethane-Nonhaz Shielding-CSM, 4X attenuation glovebox gloves. The Polyurethane-Nonhaz Shielding-CSM, 4X attenuation glovebox gloves are a non-hazardous substitute for the CSM with an inner lead oxide layer glovebox gloves. The Polyurethane formulations are compared to the gloves currently used at TA-55 with respect to dexterity and its effect on the outcome of any task performance. The objective of this research is to study the effect of the gloves currently used at TA-55 vs. Polyurethane formulations on task performance. In conclusion, replacement of gloves currently in use at TA-55 with Polyurethane formulations improves the safety configuration of the glovebox system by reducing the glovebox workers risks of ergonomic injuries and internally deposited radionuclides and eliminating mixed waste generation. Process improvements of this type contribute to an organization's scientific and technological excellence by increasing its operational safety.

Lean Six Sigma tools, Part III: Input metrics for a Glovebox Glove Integrity Program

The Glovebox Glove Integrity Program (GGIP) at the Los Alamos National Laboratory Plutonium Facility (TA-55) was developed to minimize or prevent glovebox glove events, i.e., loss of confinement of the glovebox through an unplanned opening in the glovebox glove. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) established the Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma (LSS) business practices to effectively improve administrative and engineering controls and work processes. One approach used in LSS is input metrics: outcomes that fall below the level of significance that would concern TA-55 management or an external regulator; when out of control, such occurrences usually have consequences that are negligible to low. The benefit management receives from using input metrics as a tool is twofold. First, control charts signal the absence or presence of systematic variations that result in process instability in relation to the GGIP. Second, input metrics can be used to identify statistically significant variations (trends) that can be used in decision-making to improve processes. Managing with input metrics allows the workforce to understand the alignment between individual work and the tactical goals of management. This paper discusses process indicators assessed by use of input metrics, provides examples of input metrics, and shows how managers use the results to make decisions. This effort contributes to the LANL's Continuous Improvement Program by providing information that can be used to improve operational safety.

Lean Six Sigma tools for a Glovebox Glove Integrity Program: Part II: Output metrics

The Glovebox Glove Integrity Program at the Los Alamos National Laboratory Plutonium Facility (TA-55) was developed to minimize and/or prevent glovebox glove events, i.e., loss of confinement of the glovebox through an unplanned opening in the glovebox glove. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) established the Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma business practices (LSS) to effectively improve administrative and engineering controls and work processes. One tool used in LSS is output metrics: outcomes that are significant to the TA-55 management or an external regulator; when out of control, these outcomes usually have high and adverse consequences for the organization and are difficult to mitigate. The benefit that management receives from using output metrics consists of identifying statistically significant variations (trends) that can be used in decision-making to improve processes. Managing with output metrics allows the work force to understand the alignment between individual work and the strategic goals of management. This paper discusses performance indicators assessed by the use of output metrics, provides examples of output metrics, and shows how managers use the results to make decisions. This effort contributes to the LANL Continuous Improvement Program by providing information that can be used to improve operational safety.

Lean Six Sigma Tools for a Glovebox Glove Integrity Program

Programmatic operations at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Plutonium Facility involve working with various amounts of plutonium, uranium, and other highly toxic, alpha-emitting materials. The spread of radiological contamination on surfaces, airborne contamination, and excursions of contaminants into the operator's breathing zone are prevented through use of a variety of gloveboxes. Evaluation of the glovebox configuration shows that the glovebox gloves are the most vulnerable part of this engineering control. Recognizing this vulnerability, the Glovebox Glove Integrity Program was developed to minimize or prevent glovebox glove events, namely, loss of confinement of the glovebox through an unplanned opening in the glovebox glove. In addition, LANL established the Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma business practices (LSS) program to effectively improve administrative and engineering controls and work processes. The LSS tools were developed to analyze, optimize, and manage glovebox glove process performance with meaningful data. This includes identifying process scope and ownership and measuring performance. This paper discusses LSS tools, provides examples of LSS tools, and shows how managers use the results to make decisions. This effort contributes to LANL Continuous Improvement Program by providing information that improves the efficiency, cost effectiveness, and formality of glovebox operations.

Characterization of a plutonium beryllium source for use in neutron damage studies

Standard lead loaded Hypalon gloves deteriorate at an accelerated pace in the glovebox environments of Los Alamos National Laboratory. In an effort to minimize glovebox breaches, a project was undertaken to characterize polymer damage due to various environments. For one such study, experimental techniques were used to facilitate the use of a neutron source in damage studies involving glovebox gloves. In order to identify the radiation field experienced by the polymer samples, a characterization of the neutron source in the experimental setup was needed. The plutoniumberyllium source used was chosen to mimic an average neutron flux in a typical LANL glovebox. However, it was surmised that a more exact experimental flux should be found rather then using merely numerical analysis. Subsequent to ascertaining the impending neutron flux, polyurethane gloves show superior properties when compared against standard leaded Hypalon gloves; however, polyurethane is shown to degrade faster following neutron irradiation.

Elements of a Glovebox Glove Integrity Program

Programmatic operations at the Los Alamos National Laboratory Plutonium Facility involve working with various amounts of plutonium and other highly toxic, alpha-emitting materials. The spread of radiological contamination on surfaces and airborne contamination and excursions of contaminants into the operator's breathing zone are prevented through the use of a variety of gloveboxes. The glovebox gloves are the weakest part of this engineering control. As a matter of good business practice, a team of glovebox experts from Los Alamos National Laboratory has been assembled to proactively investigate processes and procedures that minimize unplanned openings in the glovebox gloves, i.e., breaches and failures. Working together, they have developed the key elements of an efficient Glovebox Glove Integrity Program (GGIP). In the following report, the consequences of a glove failure or breach are identified, the acceptable risk is clarified, and elements needed to implement an efficient GGIP are discussed.

A manipulator for glove-box operations

To satisfy the safety demands required by certain industries, in particular those involved in the handling of chemical, biological and nuclear materials, there is an increasing reliance on robotics and manipulator systems. One area that has proved difficult to automate is the existing glove-box facilities. A possible solution is to allow manipulators to operate through the existing glove-ports instead of rebuilding the complete facilities. This paper discusses the development of a manipulator that is capable of fitting and operating in a standard synthetic rubber glove-box glove, and therefore gaining access to the hazardous area. A significant design feature of the manipulator is its anthropomorphic end effector, which consists of four mechanically adaptive fingers together with a simple opposing thumb. The mechanisms developed produce motions that are similar to that of the human finger. The hand is oriented by a compact six degrees of freedom arm, where the requirement for in-glove operation placed a number of significant design constraints on the size of the joints. To maximize the operational potential of this system, including the dexterous hand, full use is made of sensors and hierarchical control structures. The complete manipulator has been successfully installed in a glove-box facility for trials, the results of which are discussed in this paper.