Polymer Performance and Aging in a Tritium Environment

Abstract

In an ideal tritium system, we would be able to remove all polymer components due the damage incurred by the resulting beta decay and reduce the required maintenance of the systems and its components. However, polymers are an integral material used within the Tritium Facility in sealing, joining, and containment and are used in several different systems within the process.With the loss of certain capabilities, such as the Normetex pump, it is necessary to identify and/or develop polymers that can better withstand exposure to beta radiation in tritium environments. This article reviews the various polymer resins and formulations that are used in a tritium environment, their properties, and their performance.

Direct Measurements of Neutrino Mass

“…On the other hand, aluminum, glass, and possibly other materials are well suited to the accommodation step where dissociated atoms are first cooled before entering the trap. Fluorocarbons, however, are not suitable with tritium because they are degraded by radiolysis [273], which leads to the formation of TF, a corrosive gas.…”

A theoretical approach to structural change of a polymer induced by beta decays of substituted tritium based on the linear response theory

“…We need to derive the expression of the time derivative of the dynamical quantity conjugate to the applied force to calculate the response function from (8). has four terms , , , and , which are calculated by ,…”

“…In the decay effect, the chemical bonds break by beta decay of substituted tritium in the molecules to helium-3. Although several experimental and simulation studies have so far been conducted on radiation effects on biomolecules [5,6] and polymeric molecules [7,8], the molecular mechanism of radiation effects on biomolecules and polymeric molecules is not fully understood yet.…”

“…, , , ,• , .3.3. Preliminary results of the response functionWe performed some preliminary calculations of the response function using(8) toshow an example of the results obtained on the basis of the linear response theory. The average in (8) was done with 100 samples.…”

Structural change of damaged polyethylene by beta-decay of substituted tritium using reactive force field

“…14,16) And it is also found that polymeric materials will be damaged in a tritium environment, which leads to lower performance. 18,19) Besides the direct and indirect effects of β-ray irradiation to molecules by tritium, the decay effect, which is caused by hydrogen-tritium exchange and subsequent decays of substituted tritium, also causes damages to the structure of hydrogen-included molecules. It has been studied that tritium can exchange with hydrogen on proteins or small organic molecules.…”