| |
Development and Testing of Structural Materials
 |
IMET Hot Cell Facility 3025E |
|
LAMDA Facility Building 4508 |
The Irradiated Materials Examination and Testing (IMET) hot cell facility is a Class III nuclear facility located in Building 3025E at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. These hot cells are the primary mechanical testing and examination facility at ORNL for highly irradiated structural alloys and ceramics. The IMET facility is utilized by a number of programs, including DOE Office of Science (fusion energy sciences, HFIR surveillance program, SNS surveillance program), DOE Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Heavy Section Steel Initiative, and NNSA Naval Reactors advanced materials programs.
The LAMDA facility is a multipurpose laboratory for evaluation of materials with low radiological threat. This threat is defined both by the potential for absorbed dose and the possibility of radiological contamination. All materials to be observed in the facility are accepted from one of the ORNL hot-cells (predominantly 3025E, 3525, and 3047), with the radiological hazards previously identified. Once in the facility they undergo a further radiological screening and decontamination.
Examination of non-fuel radiological specimens can be carried out in a number of facilities at ORNL, depending on the level of radiation dose or contamination of the sample and the evaluation to be carried out. High dose samples are carried out in the classic hot-cell environment (the IMET facility), or for samples with lower radiological treat in the LAMDA facility. However, the majority of non-radiological characterization equipment within the Materials Science and Technology is used for evaluation of radiological samples through routine radiological posting and de-posting procedures.
|
