Title 49

SECTION 173.469

173.469 Tests for special form Class 7 (radioactive) materials.

§ 173.469 Tests for special form Class 7 (radioactive) materials.

(a) Special form Class 7 (radioactive) materials must meet the test requirements of paragraph (b) of this section. Each solid Class 7 (radioactive) material or capsule specimen to be tested must be manufactured or fabricated so that it is representative of the actual solid material or capsule that will be transported with the proposed radioactive content duplicated as closely as practicable. Any differences between the material to be transported and the test material, such as the use of non-radioactive contents, must be taken into account in determining whether the test requirements have been met. The following additional conditions apply:

(1) A different specimen may be used for each of the tests;

(2) The specimen may not break or shatter when subjected to the impact, percussion, or bending tests;

(3) The specimen may not melt or disperse when subjected to the heat test; and

(4) After each test, leaktightness or indispersibility of the specimen must be determined by -

(i) A method no less sensitive than the leaching assessment prescribed in paragraph (c) of this section. For a capsule resistant to corrosion by water, and which has an internal void volume greater than 0.1 milliliter, an alternative to the leaching assessment is a demonstration of leaktightness of 10−4 torr-1/s (1.3 × 10−4 atm-cm 3/s) based on air at 25 °C (77 °F) and one atmosphere differential pressure for solid radioactive content, or 10−6 torr-1/s (1.3 × 10−6 atm-cm 3/s) for liquid or gaseous radioactive content; or

(ii) A specimen that comprises or simulates Class 7 (radioactive) material contained in a sealed capsule need not be subjected to the leaching assessment specified in paragraph (c) of this section provided it is alternatively subjected to any of the volumetric leakage assessment tests prescribed in the International Organization for Standardization document ISO 9978-1992(E): “Radiation protection - Sealed radioactive sources - Leakage test methods” (IBR, see § 171.7 of this subchapter).

(b) Test methods - (1) Impact Test. The specimen must fall onto the target from a height of 9 m (30 feet) or greater. The target must be as specified in § 173.465(c)(5).

(2) Percussion Test. (i) The specimen must be placed on a sheet of lead that is supported by a smooth solid surface, and struck by the flat face of a steel billet so as to produce an impact equivalent to that resulting from a free drop of 1.4 kg (3 pounds) through 1 m (3.3 feet).

(ii) The flat face of the billet must be 2.5 cm (1 inch) in diameter with the edge rounded off to a radius of 3 mm ±0.3 mm (0.12 inch ±0.012 inch).

(iii) The lead must be of hardness number 3.5 to 4.5 on the Vickers scale and thickness not more than 25 mm (1 inch), and must cover an area greater than that covered by the specimen.

(iv) A fresh surface of lead must be used for each impact.

(v) The billet must strike the specimen so as to cause maximum damage.

(3) Bending test. (i) This test applies only to long, slender sources with a length of 10 cm (4 inches) or greater and a length to width ratio of 10 or greater.

(ii) The specimen must be rigidly clamped in a horizontal position so that one half of its length protrudes from the face of the clamp.

(iii) The orientation of the specimen must be such that the specimen will suffer maximum damage when its free end is struck by the flat face of a steel billet.

(iv) The billet must strike the specimen so as to produce an impact equivalent to that resulting from a free vertical drop of 1.4 kg (3 pounds) through 1 m (3.3 feet).

(v) The flat face of the billet must be 2.5 cm (1 inch) in diameter with the edges rounded off to a radius of 3 mm ±0.3 mm (.12 inch ±0.012 inch).

(4) Heat test. The specimen must be heated in air to a temperature of not less than 800 °C (1475 °F), held at that temperature for a period of 10 minutes, and then allowed to cool.

(i) The specimen shall be immersed for seven days in water at ambient temperature. The volume of water to be used in the test shall be sufficient to ensure that at the end of the seven day test period the free volume of the unabsorbed and unreacted water remaining shall be at least 10% of the volume of the solid test sample itself. The water shall have an initial pH of 6-8 and a maximum conductivity of 1 mS/m (10 micromho/cm) at 20 °C (68 °F).

(ii) The water with specimen must then be heated to a temperature of 50 °C ±5° (122 °F ±9°) and maintained at this temperature for four hours.

(iii) The activity of the water must then be determined.

(iv) The specimen shall then be kept for at least seven days in still air at not less than 30 °C (86 °F) and relative humidity not less than 90%.

(v) The specimen must then be immersed in water under the same conditions as in paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this section, and the water with specimen must be heated to 50 C ±5° (122 °F ±9°) and maintained at that temperature for four hours.

(vi) The activity of the water must then be determined. The activities determined in paragraph (c)(1)(iii) of this section and this paragraph, (c)(1)(vi), may not exceed 2 kilobecquerels (0.05 microcurie).

(2) For encapsulated material -

(i) The specimen shall be immersed in water at ambient temperature. The water shall have an initial pH of 6-8 and a maximum conductivity of 1 mS/m (10 micromho/cm) at 20 °C (68 °F).

(ii) The water and specimen must be heated to a temperature of 50 °C ±5° (122 °F ±9°) and maintained at this temperature for four hours.

(iii) The activity of the water must then be determined.

(iv) The specimen shall then be kept for at least seven days in still air at not less than 30 °C (86 °F) and relative humidity not less than 90%.

(v) The process in paragraphs (c)(2)(i), (c)(2)(ii), and (c)(2)(iii) of this section must be repeated.

(vi) The activity determined in paragraph (c)(2)(iii) of this section may not exceed 2 kilobecquerels (0.05 microcurie).

(d) A specimen that comprises or simulates Class 7 (radioactive) material contained in a sealed capsule need not be subjected to -

(1) The impact test and the percussion test of this section provided that the mass of the special form material is -

(i) Less than 200 g and it is alternatively subjected to the Class 4 impact test prescribed in ISO 2919 (IBR, see § 171.7 of this subchapter), or

(ii) Less than 500 g and it is alternatively subjected to the Class 5 impact test prescribed in ISO 2919 (IBR, see § 171.7 of this subchapter); and

(2) The heat test of this section, provided the specimen is alternatively subjected to the Class 6 temperature test specified in the International Organization for Standardization document ISO 2919 (IBR, see § 171.7 of this subchapter).

(e) Special form materials that were successfully tested prior to October 1, 2014 in accordance with the requirements of paragraph (d) of this section in effect prior to October 1, 2014 may continue to be offered for transportation and transported without additional testing under this section.

[Amdt. 173-244, 60 FR 50307, Sept. 28, 1995, as amended at 63 FR 37461, July 10, 1998; 64 FR 51919, Sept. 27, 1999; 66 FR 45184, 45380, 45381, Aug. 28, 2001; 68 FR 75742, 75747, Dec. 31, 2003; 69 FR 3692, Jan. 26, 2004; 79 FR 40617, July 11, 2014]