Nuclear Castings

By: Rob Parker
As one can appreciate, the manufacturing requirements for the nuclear industry are extremely rigorous. In North America, regulatory authorities such as the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission ensure that the public and nuclear industry workers are kept safe. Simply stated, there is no margin for error in the manufacturing process for components used in the nuclear power generation process.

Lead is an excellent radiation shielding material for the nuclear industry. The reasons that lead is such a good material when working in radioactive environments are its density, high atomic number, its stability, ease of fabrication, high degree of flexibility in application, and its availability. The only metal that is more dense than lead is gold which is impractical for use in most industrial settings simply because of its high cost. In the nuclear industry, lead is used extensively in the manufacture of nuclear casks, nuclear storage containers (called pigs), hot cells, lead bricks and pipe sleeves. Many of these products must be manufactured with a lead casting process.



Lead casting is the manufacturing process by which molten lead is introduced into a mold, allowed to solidify within the mold, and then broken out or removed from the mold to make a fabricated part. Casting is used for making parts of complex shape that would be difficult or uneconomical to make by other methods. For the nuclear industry, the lead casting manufacturing process must be well-documented, and quality assurance processes play a key role in ensuring that the rigorous requirements are met.



The hazards of dealing with lead are well known. If lead is inhaled or ingested it will interfere with the production of red blood cells and is, therefore, a health hazard. The manufacturing process must not only deal with the quality issues of the nuclear industry, but the health issues of those who are handling lead components and castings during and after the manufacturing process.

While the processes used in creating a cast lead part for the nuclear industry are the same as for most other parts that are manufactured using a casting process, the manufacturing process is much more stringent and well-documented than that of traditional cast parts. As such, lead product manufacturers must be prepared to subject each part to rigorous quality assurance processes before being released to the customer. The safety of both nuclear industry workers and the general public depends on it.

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