Performance of portable storage containers in reducing neutron radiation

摘要

The principal investigators designed portable shielded containers that reduce neutron dose to workers from fissile materials contained in storage canisters. We studied the shielding characteristics of several common shielding materials, such as polyethylene, B4C, and cadmium. From these studies, we found and successfully demonstrated that by using a combination of CH2 and B4C, we could reduce neutron dose by a factor of four or better. In addition, the containers we designed with the new materials are of reasonable size and weight.