Carborundum Company 

Special Exposure Cohort Petition 

Evaluation Report 

Thomas Tomes 

Health Physicist 

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

July 2015 

Idaho Falls, Idaho 
EEOICPA Facility Listing 

 Carborundum Company 

• State: New York Location: Niagara Falls 

• Atomic Weapons Employer (AWE) 

1943-1944, 1959-1967 

• Residual Radiation 

1945-1958, 1968-1992 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 
EEOICPA Facility Listing 

 Carborundum Facility Description: 

In 1943 and 1944 the Carborundum Company at its 

Globar Plant and Buffalo Avenue locations was 

engaged in various phases of Manhattan Engineer 

District (MED) programs to determine suitable 

methods for engineering and shaping uranium rods. 

This work also involved the forming, coating, and 

canning of uranium rods for the MED pile. 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 
EEOICPA Facility Listing 

 Facility Description, cont.: 

• From 1959 through 1967 the company 

manufactured uranium and plutonium 

carbide pellets for an AEC research program 

• Carborundum also performed work during 

the 1950s that is not covered under 

EEOICPA 

 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 
SEC Petition Overview 

 Petition received November 19, 2014 

 Petitioner requested class definition: 

All employees who worked in any area of the 

Carborundum Company facility on Buffalo Avenue, 

Niagara Falls, NY from January 1, 1943 through 

December 31, 1976 

 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 
SEC Petition Overview 

 Qualified for evaluation on February 2, 2015 

 Basis for Qualification: 

Radiation exposures and radiation doses potentially 

incurred by members of the proposed class were 

not monitored either through personal monitoring 

or through area monitoring 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 
Petition Evaluation Report 

 Class Evaluated by NIOSH: 

All employees who worked in any area of the 

Carborundum Company facility on Buffalo Avenue, 

Niagara Falls, NY from January 1, 1943 through 

December 31, 1976. 

 SEC Petition Evaluation Report completed by NIOSH 

on May 26, 2015. Revision 1 issued June 3, 2015 to 

correct the date and document number of a reference. 

 NIOSH recommended class: None 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 
Previous Dose Reconstructions 

 Total claims submitted for dose reconstruction 120

 Cases submitted for energy employees who 

worked during the period under evaluation 

(1/1/1943 – 12/31/1976) 106

 Number of dose reconstructions completed for 

energy employees who worked during the 

period under evaluation 90

 Cases for which internal dosimetry records 

were obtained 0 

 Claims for which external dosimetry records 

were obtained 0 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 
Sources of Available Information 

 NIOSH Site Research Database: 220 documents researched 

 Site Profile Batelle-TBD-6000

 ORAUT-OTIB-0070, Dose from Residual Contamination 

 Seven former workers interviewed, all post 1950 timeframe 

 DCAS and ORAUT Technical Information Bulletins 

 Standard data searches also conducted 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 
Carborundum Company Background 

 The Carborundum Company was located at 

1920 Buffalo Avenue 

 Two AWE operational periods and two residual 

contamination periods: 

• First Operational Period: 1943-1944

• First Residual Period: 1945-1958

• Second Operational Period: 1959-1967

• Second Residual Period: 1968-1976

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 
Carborundum Company Background 

 Company founded in 1891 to produce silicon carbide 

abrasives 

 Company moved to Niagara Falls in 1895 

 Diversified and expanded internationally over 

the years 

 Employed approximately 6,000-7,000 employees 

during the 1940s 

 Estimated to have 30 to 50 buildings on site 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 
Carborundum Plant, Buffalo Avenue 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 
Carborundum Company Background 

 Location of 1943 AEC work unknown 

 Research and Development Building 

(Building 1) was opened in 1953 

 Building 1 was the location of uranium and 

plutonium work in 1957 – 1968

 Building 1 was a four-story building comprising 

over 60,000 square feet 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 
First AWE Period Scope of Work 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 Experimental centerless grinding performed in 

June 1943 in support of the uranium slug 

fabrication program coordinated by DuPont 

 Purpose was to determine type of abrasive wheel 

and optimal speeds for grinding uranium slugs 

with a centerless grinder 

 No purchase order issued and no medical 

supervision considered necessary 
First AWE Period Scope of Work 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 Work limited to testing centerless grinding 

 Pilot production centerless grinding performed by 

other companies 

 Total quantity of uranium at Carborundum: 

10 uranium metal slugs totaling 30 pounds 

 Uranium slugs received June 1, 1943 

 Uranium returned shipped September 27, 1943 
First AWE Period Work Process 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 Tested four different abrasive wheels, one of 

which was effective 

 Determined optimal speeds and machine settings 

 Grinding was done on the ten slugs in June 1943 

 Results reported to DuPont on July 2, 1943 

 Uranium slugs returned September 27, 1943 
First AWE Period Exposures 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 Internal dose from grinding uranium metal 

 External dose from handling uranium metal 

 No monitoring records are known to exist 

 Dose from centerless grinding activities is 

presumed for the entire period uranium metal 

was on site: June 1 through September 27, 1943 
First AWE Period Internal Dose 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 Uranium intakes 

• TBD-6000 inhalation intakes for centerless grinding 

presumed to bound intakes for experimental grinding 

at Carborundum 

• Intakes are based on air concentrations from 

centerless grinding without ventilation 

• Allows for intakes from resuspension during down 

time between setups and cleanup of equipment 

• Ingestion rate estimated from air concentrations 
First AWE Period Internal Dose 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 Uranium intakes 

• Surrogate data: TBD-6000 intakes are from production 

operations at other sites a few years later 

• Justification for using TBD-6000: 

Source term lower than the TBD-6000 sites 

Same process—the air concentration in TBD-6000 is 

centerless grinding without ventilation 

Reports indicate the grinding was not continuous 
First AWE Period External Dose 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 Dose from exposure to photons and electrons 

• TBD-6000 Table 6-4 dose rates from machining for the 

pre 1951 era 

• Justification for use: uranium metal dose rate 

estimates in TBD-6000 are applicable to the uranium 

metal slugs that were sent to Carborundum 

• Dose applied as prescribed in TBD-6000 for June 

through September 1943 
Centerless Grinding 

Residual Contamination 1943-1958

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 Dose from residual uranium contamination after 

slugs shipped out September 27, 1943 

 No available records on decontamination of 

equipment or area 

 Contamination levels from settling of airborne 

particulates derived as specified in TBD-6000, 

with subsequent resuspension 
Centerless Grinding 

Residual Contamination 1943-1958

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 ORAUT-OTIB-070 methods used to estimate 

annual inhalation intakes and source term 

depletion

 External dose from residual contamination based 

on derived contamination levels and dose 

coefficients in Federal Guidance Report No. 12 
Second AWE Period, 1959-1967 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 Carborundum was an AEC contractor and 

subcontractor 

 Seven contracts that involved reactor fuel 

development 

 Developed methods to synthesize fuels for 

breeder reactors 
Second AWE Period, 1959-1967 

Scope of Work 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 Two AEC contracts 

• Initial contract in 1959-1961 was for synthesis of 

uranium refractory compounds UN, UC, and U3Si2 for 

study as reactor fuel 

• Contract in 1966-1967 to study an alternate method to 

synthesize mixed U/Pu carbide fuels 

• Related to subcontracts with United Nuclear from 1959 

through 1965 
Second AWE Period, 1959-1967 

Scope of Work 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 Five subcontracts 1959-1965 under United Nuclear, the 

AEC prime contractor 

• AEC Fuel Development program 

• Mixed uranium/plutonium carbide fuel to study more 

economical fuels for fast breeder reactors 

• United Nuclear responsible for design, fuel irradiation 

and evaluation 

• Carborundum responsible for fuel fabrication 
Second AWE Period, 1959-1967 

Work Area 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 Work was performed in Building 1 which opened 

in 1953 

 New building had experimental high-temperature 

furnaces, electron microscopes, X-ray installation, 

gloveboxes, other equipment 

 Layout of uranium work areas not available 

 Plutonium facility was constructed and became 

operational in 1961 
Second AWE Period, 1959-1967 

Work Area 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 Plutonium facility 

• In the Central Laboratory, 4th floor of Building 1 

• 15 feet by 48 feet by 8.5 feet high 

• Enameled, steel paneled walls and ceiling with vinyl 

floor 

• Included work space (15 ft by 37 ft) and a change 

room (11 ft by 15 ft) 

• Fully contained and ventilated work areas 
Second AWE Period, 1959-1967 

Work Area 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 Plutonium facility had six glove boxes 

• All at atmospheric pressure; three with helium, three 

with air atmospheres 

• Constructed of welded aluminum plate with full side 

safety-plate glass windows 

• Materials moved into or out of the boxes by the 

pouching technique, or directly through the O-ringsealed sliding door of #1 box, which was maintained 

at a low level of contamination 
Plutonium Work Area 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 
Second AWE Period, 1959-1967 

Work Process 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 Initial uranium work 1959 - 1961

• Objective to develop uranium refractory compounds 

as economical alternative to UO2 for reactor fuel 

• Develop methods to synthesize UN, UC, and U3Si2 

• Fabricate into bodies suitable for testing 

• Determine physical properties of the materials 
Second AWE Period, 1959-1967 

Work Process 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 Initial uranium work 1959 - 1961

• Uranium combined with reactant, such as carbon, 

nitrogen, or silicon 

• Experiments with different compounds and reactions 

• Involved dry ball-milling and pressing into pellets 

• Experimented with cold pressing, hot pressing, and 

sintering methods 

• Experimented with furnace types, atmospheres, and 

temperatures to produce the chemical reactions 
Second AWE Period, 1959-1967 

Work Process 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 Testing of synthesized uranium refractory 

compounds 1959 - 1961

• Thermal expansion and density measurements 

• Thermal conductivity 

• Modulus of rupture 

• Other physical properties 

• X-ray analysis 
Second AWE Period, 1959-1967 

Work Process 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 Initial uranium work 1959 - 1961

• Produced many batches of uranium monocarbide 

ranging from 30 grams to 6 pounds 

• Quantities of uranium mononitride and uranium 

silicide unknown 

• Work controls unknown but work was reported 

suspended for a period while a glovebox was replaced 
Second AWE Period, 1959-1967 

Plutonium Work Process 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 Plutonium Work 1960 - 1965

• Develop economic method to produce high density 

uranium-plutonium monocarbide (UPu)C fuel pellets 

• Produce fuel pellets to substitute in the core of the 

Fermi Fast Breeder Reactor for testing fuel 

characteristics and cost as compared to mixed oxide 

fuels 

• Carborundum only involved with the fuel development 

and fabrication 
Second AWE Period, 1959-1967 

Plutonium Work Process 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 Plutonium Work 1960 - 1965

• Work performed in new Pu facility 

• Facility initially tested with UC 

• First shipment of plutonium arrived in 1960 

• Pu processing started in March 1961 

• Mass ratio of U/Pu carbide fuel was 

95% U/5% Pu or 80% U/20% Pu 
Second AWE Period, 1959-1967 

Plutonium Work Process 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 Fabrication process, 1961 - 1965:

• Work performed in gloveboxes 

• Batch work with mass restrictions 

• Mixed U and Pu oxide powders with carbon 

• Ball milling of mixture 

• Heating mixture to form monocarbide clinker 
Second AWE Period, 1959-1967 

Plutonium Work Process 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 Fabrication process, 1961 - 1965:

• Crush clinker to fine powder 

• Cold press and sinter to a dense form 

• Grind pellets 

• Inspect and ship 
Second AWE Period, 1959-1967 

Plutonium Work Process 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 Other work with the fuel: 

• Explore fuel synthesis methods 

• Evaluate physical properties of pellets 

• Density measurements 

• X-ray diffraction analysis 
Second AWE Period, 1959-1967 

Plutonium Work Process 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 1966 - 1967 work: 

• Six month contract with the AEC to study 

alternate method to synthesize (UPu)C 

• Experiments for coprecipitation of the 

compound from a mixture of U and Pu 

nitrate solutions 
Second AWE Period, 1959-1967 

Monitoring Data 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 Internal dose

• Although interviewees stated that they 

provided bioassay samples, no bioassay results 

have been located 

• No contamination surveys have been located 

• Air samples results are available from uranium 

work in 1959 and 1961 

• Air samples from plutonium work in 1961 are 

available 
Second AWE Period, 1959-1967 

Monitoring Data 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 External dose

• NIOSH has not identified any dosimetry data 

or external dose rate measurements 
Second AWE Period, 1959-1967 

Air Sampling Data 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 Uranium: general area air dust samples were 

taken in November 1959 and April 1961 

• Nine are legible in the documentation 

• All nine air sample results were positive 

• Highest result was 6 dpm per cubic meter from the 

furnace room 
Second AWE Period, 1959-1967 

Air Sampling Data 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 Plutonium: sixteen air samples taken in June and 

April 1961 

• Six were breathing zone samples 

Three were positive 

Highest was 0.76 alpha dpm per sample 

• Ten were general area samples 

Nine were positive 

Highest was 22 alpha dpm per sample 
Second AWE Period, 1959-1967 

Internal Dose Estimates 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 Air sample data used to estimate intakes from uranium 

work and from plutonium work 

 For uranium, the 95th percentile of the general area air 

samples used to estimate intakes by support workers, with 

operator intakes assumed to be double 

 For plutonium, both general area and breathing zone 

sample results are available to estimate intakes 
Second AWE Period, 1959-1967 

External Dose Estimates 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 For uranium work, TBD-6000 doses for machining uranium 

will be used to bound external dose 

• Use graded approach for levels of exposure 

• Photon and electron doses apply; neutron dose not 

applicable 

• Era of work is consistent with data from TBD-6000

• The surrogate external uranium dose data from 

production facilities should bound external dose rates 

from exposure to the relatively low quantities of 

uranium compounds used at Carborundum 
Second Residual Period, 1959 - 1976 

Internal Dose Estimates 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 Dose from residual uranium contamination after 

end fuel fabrication ended in 1958 

 No available records on decontamination of 

equipment or area 

 Contamination levels from settling of airborne 

particulates derived as specified in TBD-6000, 

with subsequent resuspension 
Second Residual Period, 1959 - 1976 

Internal Dose Estimates 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 ORAUT-OTIB-070 methods used to estimate 

annual inhalation intakes and source term 

depletion

 External dose from residual contamination based 

on derived contamination levels and dose 

coefficients in Federal Guidance Report No. 12 
Second Residual Period, 1959 - 1976 

Internal Dose Estimates 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 ORAUT-OTIB-070 methods used to estimate 

annual inhalation intakes and source term 

depletion

 External dose from residual contamination based 

on derived contamination levels and dose 

coefficients in Federal Guidance Report No. 12 
Feasibility Summary 

1943-1944 and 1958-1967 (operational periods) 

1945-1958 and 1968-1976 (residual periods) 

Source of Exposure Feasible Not Feasible 

Internal Yes 

External Yes