Paper VT-WeM12
Handling, Transfer ,Storage, and Shipping of Commercial Thin Film Hydride Disk Target Samples

Wednesday, November 9, 2016, 11:40 am, Room 101D

Handling, Transfer, Storage, and Shipping of Commercial Thin Film Hydride

Disk Target Samples

James L. Provo^*

Consultant, J. L. Provo Consulting, Trinity, FL 34655-7179

Thin film hydride targets are important for many applications including,

accelerator research, various neutron devices, contraband detection, etc.

They are very sensitive to air-oxidation and easily contaminated by improper

handling . Air-exposure, which oxidizes Group IIIB, IVB, and rare earth film

materials, affects their operating properties. This paper will discuss the

development of handling techniques, and special transfer and shipping

containers for hydride target samples from post processing to transfer and

shipment to a customer. Studies were performed to determine the best physical

handling devices, procedures for reducing particulate contamination, and for

reducing air-exposure and moisture from samples before actual use. Initially, as

an example, samples in an air-exposure hydriding system, were backfilled with

an inert gas just before opening into an environmentally controlled clean room,

quickly moved to an inert gas glove box, and then placed in special vacuum

transfer or shipping containers, as quickly as possible, and then pumped down

to a vacuum of ~ 1 x 10 ^{- 7} Torr( 1.33 x 10 ^-5 Pa) or less. For optimum handling

conditions, a system was developed with the major components being a hydride

loading system in a double-sided stainless steel glove box contained in an

environmentally controlled room. This glove box contained a loader vacuum

chamber, a video microscope, a HEPA filter/ fan module and a hydriding gas

manifold. The glove box had an inert Ar or N₂ atmosphere, achieved by circulating

the gas through a commercially made purifier which striped oxygen and water

vapor. The glove box atmosphere was monitored by an oxygen monitor, and a

water vapor analyzer. When loaded samples are removed from the chamber

of such a system, samples are automatically in a pristine environment,with very

low particulate contamination, and a minimum amount of water vapor.

On the other side of the glove box, samples are placed into transfer and/or

shipping containers, which are then pumped down to high vacuum conditions for

shipment. Examples of sample handling clips, and sample containers are given.

Results have shown, that by using such methods and techniques, hydride target

disk samples can be successfully processed, handled, transferred and shipped in a

condition very close to that as processed out of a loader.

* Formerly, Principle Member of the Technical Staff at Sandia National Laboratories,

Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185 (Retired); electronic mail: jlprovo@verizon.net