Method for closing a container for the final storage of radioactive substances having a cover, and a storage device for carrying out the method, the container and/or cover consisting of a ceramic or metallic material

• Main Authors: WICK,WILHELM,.DR, FINKBEINER,RUDOLF, BIENEK,HEINZ
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; German
• Published: 20.01.1983
• Subjects: ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS,e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES,DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; CONVEYING; DECONTAMINATION ARRANGEMENTS THEREFOR; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING; NUCLEAR PHYSICS; PACKAGES; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; PROTECTION AGAINST X-RADIATION, GAMMA RADIATION, CORPUSCULARRADIATION OR PARTICLE BOMBARDMENT; STORING; TRANSPORTING; TREATING RADIOACTIVELY CONTAMINATED MATERIAL

In the final storage of radioactive substances in containers, the latter must be sealed in a gastight fashion by a cover before the container is inserted into a final storage site. In order to avoid the previously customary thermal loading of the radioactive substances, on the one hand, and of the container and cover, on the other hand, it is proposed that the container (1) and the sealing cover (2) are matchingly ground in in their mutually assigned bearing regions (1a) and (2a), and that when the container (1) is closed the cover (2) is held biased on the bearing region of the container. Preferably, after the grinding a thin compensating layer made from a highly corrosion-resistant, deformable material is applied to at least one of the bearing surfaces of the container and cover, in order to achieve a compensation of the roughnesses still present that improves the seal to the extent of grinding that can be achieved in accordance with what is technically possible and/or economically achievable. It is, however, also possible to build up the biasing via a lapping engagement.