The AL-R8 SI: the next generation staging container for plutonium pits at the USDOE Pantex Plant

The AL-R8 SI (sealed insert) is the next generation staging container for plutonium pits at the U.S. DOE Pantex Plant. The sealed insert is a stainless steel container that will be placed inside a modified AL-R8 container to stagepits. A pit is a hollow sphere of plutonium metal which is the primary fissionable material in nuclear weapons (warheads and bombs). It is hermetically sealed by a cladding material, which is usually stainless steel. Personnel exposures to ionizing radiation from the pits in storage are expected to decrease due to the attenuation provided by the new SI. All personnel exposures to ionizing radiation at Pantex Plant are As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA). Pantex Plant secures the common defense and national security of the United States by safely staging plutonium pits in a manner that protects the health and safety of employees, the public, and the environment.