Overview of metal seal tests performed at BAM and implications for extended interim storage

The investigation of the long-term performance of sealing systems employed in containers for radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel is one research focus area for division 3.4 “Safety of Storage Containers” at the Bundesanstalt fur Materialforschung und -prufung. The behaviour of metallic seals, which are employed in interim storage casks for used fuel and high active waste, over time is of high importance for ensuring safe enclosure. Therefore, investigations on these systems were started at BAM to get a general understanding of the relevant processes. Our investigations comprise investigations on different parameters which influence the seal performance and the main part is focussed on the time and temperature dependent behaviour. In this contribution an overview of the performed tests and their respective results will be given. A focus will lie on a comparison between seals with large torus diameter in comparison to small diameters. Our aim is to understand the long-term behaviour of the sealing systems for evaluation of their performance during possible extended interim storage and subsequent transportation.