Negative Pressure Glovebox

Tender description

Lancaster University wishes to purchase a Negative Pressure Glovebox This document has been prepared to set-out the University’s requirements and enable potential Suppliers to submit accurate proposals. Building on its reputation and existing facilities for internationally excellent research in advanced nuclear fuel recycle technologies, Lancaster University Engineering Department has recently been awarded a grant of £800,000 by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) to support the creation of UTGARD Lab (U/Th/beta-Gamma Active process chemistry R&D facilities), a process chemistry laboratory for work on beta/gamma active fission products, uranium, thorium and low level alpha tracers. UTGARD Lab will be equipped with a range of instruments for the provision of thermodynamic and kinetic data to underpin both fundamental and application driven research (including scale up) in nuclear recycle and waste management. With regards to the above, a Negative Pressure Glovebox is required for the primary containment of high activity radionuclides including uranium, thorium and neptunium. A unique feature of UTGARD Lab is that all of the equipment to be sited in the lab will be available to external researchers for use with open source uranium, thorium, beta/gamma emitters and alpha tracers. It is anticipated that the effective operational life of the machine will be 10 years. This purchase supports the University’s objective to maintain its place as a world class research establishment.