Hotcell Facilities

There are 3 distinct hotcell facilities at Nuclear Operations and Facilities:

Centre for Advanced Nuclear Systems (CANS)

The Centre for Advanced Nuclear Systems (CANS) is a newly established regional nuclear research centre with the capability to advance research in three focus areas: 1) nuclear materials behaviour, 2) nuclear safety thermalhydraulic behavior, and 3) health physics dose response investigation.

Large Application Industrial Hot Cell

The reactor containment building at MNR houses an industrial hot cell: a lead-shielded remote handling facility designed for working with substantial quantities of radioactive materials. Work is conducted via manipulators (mechanical arms) behind a one meter thick lead and oiled lined glass window. The facility includes a small air-lock system providing passage to the reactor pool. In addition, a large access door at the rear of the facility allows for movement of large pieces of equipment; access ports for instruments are also available. A variety of work is done in the hot cell, ranging from sterilization to nuclear dating to instrument calibration.

The industrial hot cell houses a 10 kCi (370 TBq) Cobalt-60 source that was acquired in 2011; a second gamma irradiation facility consisting of a 1 kCi (37 TBq) Cs-137 source is located adjacent to the McMaster Accelerator Laboratory. Both sources are used extensively for controlled, high level irradiations necessary for biological studies and materials research, as well as for industrial applications.

Pharmaceutical Grade Hot Cell

Located in the High Level Laboratory Facility (HLLF), access to a pharmaceutical grade hot cell is available for small-scale radioactive work.

Machining Hotcell

The Machining Hotcell is equipped with a Torch PCNC 770 CNC3D mill.

Material Test Hotcell

This hotcell is equipped with an MTS Landmark servohydraulic test system. The software – MTS Test suite tensile module with Test suites analyzes for low cycle fatigue, Klc fracture toughness and fracture analysis.

Optical Microscopy Hotcell

This hotcell is equipped with an Olympus Opto-Digital Microscope for analysis of highly radioactive samples.

Receiving Cell

The CANS receiving cell is a versatile space capable of numerous applications with its open space. It is also equipped to receive vertical and horizontal casks.

Sample Preparation Cell

This cell is equipped with suite of equipment including: a fully automatic microprocessor for controlled electrolytic polishing and etching, precision cutting of large samples, an automatic electro-hydraulic mounting press and a grinding/polishing machine with variable speed.

Cobalt-60 Radiation Source

A 10 kCi Co-60 source is housed in the industrial hotcell within containment at the McMaster Nuclear Reactor. Various irradiations are routinely done ranging from qualifying nuclear equipment to sterilization and nuclear dating.

Nuclear @ McMaster