ASTM C708-16

This document is not an ASTM standard and is intended only to provide the user of an ASTM standard an indication of what changes have been made to the previous version. Because
it may not be technically possible to adequately depict all changes accurately, ASTM recommends that users consult prior editions as appropriate. In all cases only the current version
of the standard as published by ASTM is to be considered the official document.
Designation: C708 − 08 C708 − 16
Standard Specification for
Nuclear-Grade Beryllium Oxide Powder
This standard is issued under the fixed designation C708; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope
1.1 This specification defines the physical and chemical requirements of nuclear-grade beryllium oxide (BeO) powder to be used
in fabricating nuclear components.
, ,2
1.2 This specification does not include requirements for health and safety.safety ( 1-5). It recognizes the material as a Class
B poison and suggests that producers and users become thoroughly familiar with and comply to applicable federal, state, and local
regulations and handling guidelines.guidelines (1).
1.3 Special tests and procedures are given in Annex A1 and Annex A2.
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:
C373 Test Method for Water Absorption, Bulk Density, Apparent Porosity, and Apparent Specific Gravity of Fired Whiteware
Products, Ceramic Tiles, and Glass Tiles
C859 Terminology Relating to Nuclear Materials
C1233 Practice for Determining Equivalent Boron Contents of Nuclear Materials
E11 Specification for Woven Wire Test Sieve Cloth and Test Sieves
E105 Practice for Probability Sampling of Materials
2.2 ANSIASME Standard:
ANSI/ASMEASME NQA-1 Quality Assurance Program Requirements for Nuclear Facilities
2.3 U.S. Government Standard:
Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, Energy Part 50 (10CFR50) Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities
3. Terminology
3.1 Definitions:
3.1.1 Terms shall be defined in accordance with Terminology C859 except as defined in 3.2.
3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
3.2.1 beryllium oxide powder—BeO that contains no hard aggregates larger than No. 20 sieve designation (850 μm).
3.2.2 buyer—organization issuing the purchase order.
3.2.3 calcination—process of heating a material to a high temperature but without fusing in order to drive off volatile matter
or to effect physical, chemical, or crystallographic changes.
This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee C26 on Nuclear Fuel Cycle and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee C26.03 on Neutron Absorber
Materials Specifications.
Current edition approved Dec. 1, 2008Jan. 15, 2016. Published January 2009February 2016. Originally approved in 1983. Last previous edition approved in 19872008
as C708 – 87C708 – 08. which was withdrawn November 1991 and reinstated in January 2009. DOI: 10.1520/C0708-08.DOI: 10.1520/C0708-16.
ICC Regulations, Tariff 12, Code of Regulations, Title 49, Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Record Services, General Services Administration,
Washington, DC.
Breslin, A. J., arid Harris, W. B., “Health Protection in Beryllium Facilities: Summary of 10 Years of Experience,”The boldface numbers in parentheses refer to a list
of references at the end of this Health and Safety Laboratory,standard. Vol 26, May 1959.
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM Standards
volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on the ASTM website.
Available from American National Standards Institute (ANSI), 25 W. 43rd St., 4th Floor, Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), ASME International Headquarters,
Two Park Ave., New York, NY 10036, http://www.ansi.org.10016-5990, http://www.asme.org.
Available from U.S. Government Printing Office Superintendent of Documents, 732 N. Capitol St., NW, Mail Stop: SDE, Washington, DC 20401, http://
www.access.gpo.gov.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
C708 − 16
3.2.4 powder lot—that quantity of beryllium-oxide powder processed such that samples taken in accordance with the procedures
of Section 8 can be considered as representative of the entire powder lot.
3.2.5 seller—beryllium oxide powder supplier.
4. Ordering Information
4.1 The beryllium oxide powder must meet the chemical (Section 5) and physical (Section 6) requirements of this specification,
based upon samples taken in accordance with Section 8. Deviation from these procedures and requirements or additions to them
must be agreed upon between the buyer and the seller.
4.2 To be consistent with the requirements in 4.1, the buyer may specify the following information on the order:
4.2.1 Quantity (weight of delivered product),
4.2.2 Lot size,
4.2.3 Degree of calcination (optional),
4.2.4 Nominal particle size range and applicable tolerances in accordance with Specification E11 (U.S. Standard Sieve Series).
For particle sizes smaller than No. 270 sieve designation (53 μm), the particle size distribution shall be agreed upon between the
buyer and the seller, and
4.2.5 Sampling requirements.
5. Chemical Composition
5.1 Beryllium-oxide powder is used for a variety of nuclear applications. Depending upon end use, the purity requirements may
be quite variable.
5.2 Use analytical methods as agreed upon between the buyer and the seller.
5.3 Mass loss on drying a 5 to 10-g sample of the powder at 110 6 5°C for 1 h shall be 0.50 % maximum. After drying, the
mass loss on ignition of the sample at 1000 6 50°C for 3 h shall be 1.0 % maximum.
5.4 Impurity concentrations before drying (see 5.3) shall not exceed the limits given in Table 1.
5.5 Sample material (see 5.3) shall not exceed the impurity limits given in Table 2.
5.6 Other elements, in addition to those listed in Table 2, may be included in the buyer’s impurity content requirements by
mutual agreement between the buyer and the seller.
5.7 The total equivalent boron content (EEC)(EBC) of the impurities shall not exceed 9 μg/g on a mass basis relative to BeO.
The method of performing the calculation shall be as indicated in Practice C1233. The individual EBC values are calculated as
follows:
EBC of impurity 5 ~EBC factor!3~µg of impurity/g BeO!
where:
EBC factor = (atomic mass of boron) × (σa impurity)/ (atomic mass or impurity) × (σa boron), and
σa = atomic absorption cross section in barns.
5.7.1 Should the EBC of additional elements not listed in Practice C1233 be of concern, their inclusion in the summation and
their respective EBC factors must be mutually agreed upon between the buyer and the seller.
6. Physical Requirements
6.1 All of the beryllium-oxide shall be passed through a No. 20 sieve designation (850 μm) or equivalent.
6.2 The powder shall be at least 99.5 mass % less than a No. 100 sieve designation (150 μm) determined by the wet sieve test
in Annex A1 or other test mutually agreed upon between the buyer and the seller.
6.3 Beryllium-oxide powders may exhibit different bulk or tap densities, or both, due to different production methods. The
acceptable density values for nuclear grade BeO powder are as follows:
TABLE 1 Impurity Limits for Beryllium-Oxide Powder
A
Before Drying
Element Maximum Concentration (μg/g BeO)
S 1500
F 500
Cl 100
C 500
P 300
S+F+Cl+C+P 2000
A
After drying sample in accordance with 5.3.
C708 − 16
TABLE 2 Impurity Limits for Beryllium-Oxide Powder
After Ignition
Element Maximum Concentration (μg/g BeO)
Al 100
B 3
Cd 2
Ca 50
Cr 20
Co 5
Cu 10
Fe 50
Li 3
Mg 100
Mn 10
Ni 15
Si 150
6.3.1 Bulk Density—0.15 to 0.50 g/cm , and
6.3.2 Tap Density—0.30 to 1.00 g/cm .
6.4 Sinterability—Test pellets shall be produced and measured in accordance with a sintering performance test agreed upon
between the buyer and the seller. A sinterability performance test described in Annex A2 is presented as a guide.
7. Cleanliness
7.1 The powder lot shall be handled in a manner to avoid contamination by foreign matter such as dust, cleaning agents and
organics, and materials such as plastics and paper used in packaging. Cleaning solutions, if used, shall be free of halides and
nonvolatile additives and shall be removed from the powder prior to sampling and packaging.
8. Sampling
8.1 Sampling plans to meet acceptance criteria and inspection and measurement procedures that describe the method of
compliance with this specification shall be established by the seller and submitted to the buyer for approval. The degree of
sampling where not specified i
...