PCI has developed Sure-Hold™ Bands to reduce quantities of LOCA-generated insulation debris.

Sure-Hold™ Bands are removable/reusable steel bands which can be easily installed, at a regular interval, around the metal jacketing that covers the containment area insulation, such as metal-jacketed NUKON® Insulation, or around Reflective Metal Insulation (RMI).

Sure-Hold™ Bands are designed to reinforce the existing thermal insulation so that it can withstand the high-pressure jets of the post-LOCA steam and water blowdown. Tests using a simulated pipe break have shown that standard insulation without Sure-Hold™ Bands can be severely damaged by these jets at pressures as low as 10 psi. However, with the use of the Sure-Hold™ Bands, the same types of insulation can be protected at pressures as high as 190 psi.