Tritium off-gassing trials on dust and flakes from the JET MKIIA divertor

In 1998, 100 g of highly tritiated carbon dust and flakes containing an estimated 1 g of Tritium were removed from the JET machine using a vacuum cleaner with a cyclone dust separator during the Remote Exchange of the divertor tiles. Two pots of flakes were filled and transferred, in drums, to the Active Gas Handling System where they were stored and ventilated to the Exhaust Detritiation System (EDS). A ventilated glovebox allowed the material to be handled safely and undergo calorimetric tritium assay. The glovebox had an air atmosphere with a continuous purge to the EDS with a facility for argon purging of isolators within the glovebox. Design features of the glovebox, operational experiences in handling tritiated carbon with a specific activity in excess of 1 TBq/g and results of the tests are discussed.