Nuclear Sector

Application

TRP Polymer Solutions have been manufacturing glove port caps for use in the nuclear industry for many years. These radiation-resistant rubber mouldings protect glove box users and equipment within the glove boxes. However, a legislative change made one of the ingredients in the material obsolete and required it to be substituted for an alternative. 

Problem

TRP conducted rubber formulation for a new material incorporating the recommended alternative ingredient. During revaluation by a third-party accredited laboratory, however, it was found that this material no longer provided the resistance to nitric acid required by its specification.

Solution

TRP’s material technicians were able to reformulate and mix a range of alternative compounds through rubber moulding design. These were then prototyped and tested in our in-house laboratory to establish the most suitable material for both physical properties and acid resistance.

This material was then submitted to an independent laboratory for testing and validation to the customer’s specifications. The new material met these requirements, and they could continue operations, avoiding the need for costly changes to their processes and specifications.