Radioactivity monitoring of Salzgitter Flachstahl steel products

Receiving control of delivery of scrap by rail

Since the nuclear accidents in Fukushima Salzgitter Flachstahl has been receiving more frequent enquiries concerning the potential radioactive contamination of end products. Addressing these matters, Salzgitter Flachstahl has already been conducting a series of examinations for a considerable period of time.

In the production of steel involving the use of steel scrap there is a risk of carrying over radioactively contaminated input materials.
In order to avert this risk, the input materials, especially the steel scrap employed in this context, are examined in terms of radioactive contamination on delivery. These examinations are conducted in the case of all deliveries, independent of the delivery channel and source.
In the event that a measurement should yield an abnormal result contrary to expectations, the shipment is immediately barred from further use and dispatched for subsequent proper disposal.
Under no circumstances does Salzgitter Flachstahl make use of radioactively contaminated material.

In the case that Salzgitter Flachstahl processes slabs provided by third parties these slabs are also examined in terms of radioactive contamination prior to use and are subsequently approved or barred from further use.

In order to attest that the products are free of radioactive contamination, following the production of steel at the steel mill every melt is sampled and examined in terms of possible radioactive contamination at the chemical laboratories. In this way it is ensured that radioactivity could enter into the steel products due to unauthorized actions and behavior.
 
The Radiological Protection Ordinance (StrlSchV) has stipulated a clearance value for iron related nuclides for the approval of solid materials 100 Bq/kg. The evaluation of the recorded measuring results shows that our products have undercut this clearance limit value in all instances.