Lead + Steel Fabrication Radiation Shielding

Lead + Steel Fabrication Overview

Lead + Steel Fabrications radiation shielding encase lead inside of carbon or stainless steel.  Lead (Pb) is cost effective and offers excellent gamma attenuation properties.  The attenuating properties of Lead are only surpassed by exotic and expensive materials such as Tungsten (W) and depleted Uranium (DU).  However, exposed Lead poses EH&S hazards.  Furthermore, industrial settings require more durability and strength than raw Lead can offer.

Encasing Lead in steel eliminates its hazards and weak material properties, while retaining its attenuation performance and cost effectiveness.  The high temperature resistance and all steel exterior make it ideal for permanent shielding applications.  Using structural steel simplifies 2:1 seismic analysis and eliminates GSI-191 sump concerns present in US Nuclear Power Plants.

There are challenges to designing and manufacturing Lead encased in steel products.  Pouring molten Lead into a steel enclosure can cause warping and make tight tolerances difficult to achieve.  Post Lead pour machining can be complicated by the extreme weight.  Using Lead plates in steel enclosures can result in radiation streaming.

NPO has been excelling at these challenges for over 30 years.  We take on projects scaling from pounds to tons while achieving some of the most challenging tolerance scenarios.

Encasing Lead in steel eliminates its hazards and weak material properties, while retaining its attenuation performance and cost effectiveness.

There are challenges to designing and manufacturing Lead encased in steel products.  Pouring molten Lead into a steel enclosure can cause warping and make tight tolerances difficult to achieve.  Post Lead pour machining can be complicated by the extreme weight.  Using Lead plates in steel enclosures can result in radiation streaming.

NPO has been excelling at these challenges for over 30 years.  We take on projects scaling from pounds to tons while achieving some of the most challenging tolerance scenarios.

Products

  • Custom fabrications
  • Casks
  • Pigs
  • Radionuclide Generator
  • Machined lead
  • Lead pour

Services / QC

  • ISO certified
  • CSA W59 compliant fabrication
  • AWS and ASME compliant welding
  • ANST Weld Inspection
  • ASME B30.20 – Below the Hook Lift Testing
  • Gamma Source Testing
  • Seismic/Structural Analysis
  • Expedited delivery

Have a Question? Reach out.

Our team is standing by and ready to help

Custom Shielding Applications

Oconee Heat Exchanger Skid Shielding

IMG_1385IMG_1391HX Skid Shielding Survey Results

Heat Exchanger Shielding – Permanent Installation

As part of a long-term dose reduction plan, Ameren Callaway sought to install permanent shielding around one of their regen heat exchangers. The intention was to replace the dozens of lead wool blankets used as temporary shielding, and more importantly, eliminate the time and dose costs associated with installing and uninstalling the temporary shielding package. Working […]

NPO Engineering Services

NPO offers a number of engineering services to validate the integrity and performance of our shielding. We are the industry experts when it comes to aiding nuclear power plants design new and unique shielding and pride ourselves on our technical expertise. We want to act as part of your team to not only ensure the […]

Shielded Filter Casks

NPO worked closely with AVANTech in designing a set of three shielded casks that reduced dose from 26,000-30,000 mRem/hr to less than 60 mRem/hr on contact. Two casks were utilized with one as a spare. Each shielded cask housed one of their Solids Collection Filter canisters for torus water/sludge filtration at Fermi. To achieve their […]

Dry Cask Shielding Package

In 2019, Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station, purchased an array of shielding from NPO for their spent fuel storage campaign. This package included a transfer cask shield bell, canister shield ring, and annulus gap shielding. All of these items contributed to greatly reduced dose rates for both gamma and neutron radiation. Shield bells are a single-pick […]

Mobile Shielded B25 Container

This mobile shielded container has all the same internal dimensions as a standard B25 container, but with a few added features. All six sides of the container are 0.5″ thick steel, which provides dose reduction for the rad waste it is intended to store. There are two sliding doors on top and four access doors […]
Load More