Stabilizing plutonium to reduce risk to the public and workers

摘要

At the end of the Cold War, the United States shut down its facilities for the production of nuclear weapons. Many materials, including plutonium, were left in conditons that were unsuitable for storage. Without proper packaging, metals will corrode, forming fine radioactive particles. Radioactive materials packaged with plastic or under humid conditions can pressurize and breach containers. These conditions could lead to radiological hazards.