Design life of Mound PuBe sources

[tdc@ehssun.lbl.gov (Ted M. de Castro)]

I have recently been discussing several aspects of Mound PuBe sources with 
the people who made them, people on the ANSI committee that cover the newer 
ANSI spec sources and the people at LANL who have been dissassembling and 
recycling them.

It seems from these discussions that the design life of BOTH the early MOUND 
sources AND of those compliant to the ANSI standard is 20 years.

The people at LANL tend to confirm this and suggest that MAYBE even a 30 
year use life can be expected.

Beyond that AT LEAST some NDT is highly recommended.

This obviously is NOT official policy information but I am using it as 
reliable working information/guidelines.  Also - I think this is the best 
information on the subject that we are going to be able to get.

I am presenting this here since the question came up here a few months ago 
and was not resolved.


Ted de Castro
tdc@ehssun.lbl.gov
University of California Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory
Bldg B75B Rm 101
Berkeley, CA 94720
(510) 486-5256
(510) 486-7304 - FAX

The preceeding message was NOT reviewed by my employer and therefore
represents MY OPINION ONLY and does not in any way represent the policies 
or opinions of the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory or the U.S. Department of 
Energy.