Type C packages

Radioactive material packagings are designed to deal with many factors temperature variation, shielding, contamination, containment systems, pressure relief, absorbents, corrosion, moisture, heat buildup, water and snow immersion, cooling systems, critical mass, mechanical and structural integrity, etc. There are three main types  

Less dangerous radioactive materials permit less stringent packages. Specifically, Industrial Package Types 7, 2, and 3 are in use for low-specific activity (LSA) materials and surface-contaminated objects (SCO)  

Small quantities of fissile material are excepted fissile excepted) from some fissile packaging requirements. They are not, however, excepted from the requirements appropriate to their other radioactive properties. Reduced requirements also apply to the following excepted packages  

If a radioactive material does not meet with the packaging requirements, equivalent means must be found and the material must be transported under multilateral approval special arrangement) by the states of origin, transit, and destination. 

While some radionuclides may be quickly expelled others may be ingested, inhaled, or absorbed into the body where, depending on their half-lives and type of radioactivity, they may continue to emit harmful radiation for many years, if not life. Some may concentrate in certain organs plutonium, for example, concentrates in blood-forming tissues in bone and in the liver, while plutonium oxide lodges in the lungs. 

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Users of the Regulations should be aware that a Member State may require in its national regulations that an additional approval be given by its competent authority for any special form radioactive material, Type B(U) and Type C package which is to be used for domestic transport on its territory, even if the design has already been approved in another country. 

The leaktightness requirement for a containment system in a Type B(U), Type B(M) or Type C package depends on the radiotoxicity of the radioactive contents for example, a Type B(U) or Type C package under accident conditions must have the release limited to a value of in the period of a week. This connection to the A2 value means that for highly toxic radionuclides such as plutonium and americium the allowable volumetric leak rate will be much lower than for low enriched uranium. However, if fissile material is able to escape from the contaimnent system under accident conditions, it must be demonstrated that the quantity that escapes is consistent with that assumed in the criticality safety assessment in applying para. 682(c). 

The concept of low dispersible radioactive material applies only to qualification for exemption from the requirements for Type C packages in the air transport mode. 

The marking of a Type B(U), Type B(M) or Type C package with a trefoil symbol resistant to the effects of lire and water is intended to ensure that such a type of package can be positively identified after a severe accident as carrying radioactive material. 

The Type C package provides similar levels of protection for the air mode when compared to a Type B(U) or Type B(M) package in a severe surface mode... 

The text in paras 656.1-656.24 also applies to Type C packages. 

Because a Type C package may be immersed in a lake, inland sea, or on the continental shelf where recovery is possible, the enhanced immersion test is required for all Type C packages regardless of the total activity in the package. 

To receive relief from the Type C package requirements, low dispersible radioactive material (LDM) must meet the same performance criteria for impact and fire resistance as a Type C package without producing significant quantities of dispersible material. 

Enhanced water immersion test for Type B(U) and Type B(M) packages containing more than 10 Aj and Type C packages... 

RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL, TYPE C PACKAGE, non-fissile or fissile-excepted ... 

Type C packages containing radioactive material with an activity greater than 3000A or 3000 2, as appropriate, or 1000 TBq, whichever is the lower ... 

Type C packages shall be designed to meet the requirements specified in paras 606-619, and of paras 634-647, except as specified in para. 646(a), and of the requirements specified in paras 651-655, 659-664, and, in addition, of paras 668-670. 

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