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Ternary eutectic fluoride and graphite fines were used on plutonium fires to determine their relative effectiveness as plutonium fire extinguishants. These tests confirm this Laboratory’s use of graphite fines for extinguishing small fires. For larger (more than 200 grams ) or more scattered fires, ternary eutectic fluoride extinguishant might offer some advantage over the graphite fines because of its tendency to form an adherent. noncollapsing layer. Fires involving even small amounts of plutonium can cause major losses through airborne contamination of work areas which necessitates extensive decontamination and operational downtime. The control and extinguishment” of these fires is of paramount importance to any laboratory using plutonium. Plutonium, a high density, radioactive, pyrophoric metal, is always processed or worked in completely encased glove enclosures, commonly called glove boxes (Fig. 1). These glove boxes can be inerted with argon or helium, and, if the box contains over 50°~ inert gas ( < 10~o Oz), there is little danger of the plutonium turnings igniting during machining. However, since ignition of plutonium turnings or fine pieces is possible and could burn the enclosure gloves, thus releasing serious contamination. it is necessary to quench these fires. At the Los Alamos ,Scientific Laboratory (LASL), graphite fines produced in machining of high purity graphite have been the extinguishing agent of choice for plutonium and uranium fires. A commercial graphite agent is not used because it contains impurities that complicate the recovery for extinguishing metal fires. Of the two, the fluoride is the more effective on plutonium. * In view of the favorable British reports, LASL conducted tests of the ternary eutectic fluoride to compare the effectiveness of the eutectic and of our graphite fines as extinguishing agents. The composition of the ternary eutectic fluoride (TEF) powder is: 46.5 mole % lithium fluoride 11.5 mole ~. sodium fluoride 42.0 mole ~. potassium fluoride This material as received was a white, hyg+oscopic powder. At present, John Kerr and Company, Ltd.. of Liverpool. England, appears to be the only source. They seal TEF powder in plastic bags in 1and 2-$42 lb. lots. The current cost is $2.80 to $4.20 per pound, FOB, Liverpool. Fire extinguishing tests were planned with the LASL Plutonium Fabrication Group. The following conditions were applied. 1. Fires involving unalloyed plutonium and an alloy containing 57.7~o plutonium, of these expensive metals. “J. HolMaY and W. A. Conway, “The Extin~ishing of For some time, the British have been imPlutonium Fires,” TRG Report 342(D), United pressed with the capabilities of a powdered ternary Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, Rkley, Warringeutectic chloride and a ternary eutectic fluoride ton, Lancashire, England (1962).

EVALUATION OF TERNARY EUTECTIC FLUORIDE AS AN EXTINGUISHING AGENT FOR PLUTONIUM FIRES.