Re: PYROPHORICITY

[dih@nucleus.ansto.gov.au (David Hambley)]

Whilst working for AEA Tachnology at Windscale, UK, I was involved with
safety assessement work for handling uranium fuels with high pyrophoricity
potential.  Our expert on uranium was David Willey.   It may be worth
contacting him at dave.willey@aeat.co.uk as he has also compiled a summary
of uranium hydride fire experience in the UK. 

For what its worth my opinion on uranium fires is that the airborne activity
problems associated with irradiated fuel fires far outweigh convential fire
hazards.  The main caveat to the above is that the U fires can act as
ignition sources for other combustible material.

Fires involving uranium fines are extremely energetic and reach very high
temperatures.  They do not produce much smoke but can as significant
ignition sources for any other combustible material in the viscinity.  So
long as the amount of fines is small the fire hazard is likely to remain
small and the airborne activity hazard will be greater.