Proof Testing of Small-Scale HE Press Shielding
High explosives pressing activities at Los Alamos National Laboratory have played a critical role in meeting the core missions of the lab since its early days. Small scale pressing (25 grams of energetic material or less) constitutes a significant portion of current production and much of this occurs as an attended operation. Workers that are present during HE pressing operations are to be protected from blast and fragment dangers associated with the potential violent reaction of the energetic material being pressed. Safety is paramount in all HE operations, and the ongoing evolution of analysis and mitigation of hazards contributes strongly to the development of adequate protections for personnel. Attended pressing operations satisfying Class 1 Level Protection criteria, until recently, have been allowed for small scale pressing activities on the basis of an undocumented design of shielding enclosures used at LANL. Recent review of the shield design has determined the necessity of proof testing an adequate enclosure and thoroughly documenting the test results and fabrication specifications. This will provide a basis for continuing attended operations and guidance for future design iterations. The results of the testing described in this report provide sufficient assurance that the new shield design is adequate to protect attendant workers against injury from direct blast and fragments resulting from full detonation of the maximum allowable mass of explosives (less than 25 grams) confined in a uniaxial pressing configuration typical for Los Alamos National Laboratory.