MaCS Operating Envelope
Nonradioactive Samples
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Equipment: All imaging instruments and sample prep equipment may be used in MaCS for nonradioactive materials.
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All imaging and sample prep activities shall be performed in accordance with CAES Operating Procedures.
Radioactive Samples
Materials: Radioactive material requests are evaluated as they are made, with consideration given to 1) whether the cumulative CAES inventory limit will be exceeded and 2) changing the CAES operating envelope for radiological materials.
The current rad operating envelope includes depleted uranium, solid activated ceramics, and fixed radiation sources. Depleted uranium may be in solid forms. Fixed radiation sources include activated metals: solid, non-dispersible, smearably clean (i.e., considered to be free of removable radioactive contamination) samples of activated metal and solid ceramic materials that are prepared to minimize sample mass and have a gamma dose rate of less than 70 millirem per hour at 30 centimeters are generally acceptable for analysis and testing in CAES.
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Sample Receipt: Only clean samples will be delivered to CAES for analysis (< 70 dpm/100 cm2 ßγ and 7 dpm/100cm2 α).
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Sample Preparation: Minor sample “touch-up” is the only sample prep activity allowed for radioactive samples. Touch-up shall be performed in accordance with CAES Operating Procedures, with each activity planned and approved on a project-by-project basis. Some nuclides may prove to be unacceptable for sample preparation until Phase 2. This reinforces the need to fully vet sample prep activities in the service request step of the process.
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Equipment: All imaging equipment may be used for radiological sample analysis.
