1. Investigation and Report
on Failure Modes of Dry
Shippers from Palmer
Station and Vessel
Operations
How Dry Shippers Have Failed During Use
&
How ASA Can Help Prevent These Failures
Antarctic Support Associates
ScienceSupportDivision–McMurdoStation

2. INTRODUCTION TO DRY SHIPPERS
A dry shipper is a device used to ship materials, usually samples of scientific interest, that must remain
at temperatures lower than conventionally obtained using dry ice. The primary coolant for a dry
shipper is liquid nitrogen or liquid argon. Other coolants are possible but present hazards or are
impractical otherwise. For example, liquid oxygen presents a significant fire hazard when used in a dry
shipper and liquid helium is too expensive to use.
A dry shipper may have a small internal canister, with a handle, to add or remove samples. Some dry
shippers, generally larger units, may have a small file draw system for “filing” samples away for retrieval
later. These containers have shipping cases to protect them from damage during transit and work
quite well. The shipping cases are generally well marked as to package orientation and contents.
The construction of a dry shipper is most ordinary in nature with one exception. A dry shipper is
constructed like any other dewar except that the inner vessel has an adsorbent lining for liquid nitrogen.
This lining adsorbs the liquid nitrogen and prevents liquid from spilling out. This makes the container
nonhazardous for shipping purposes provided there is no freestanding liquid in the sample well.
The standard dry shipper is constructed of an inner vessel of aluminum. A “getter” or activated carbon
packet is attached to the bottom of this vessel in the annular space. A “getter’s” job is to scavenge gas
molecules from the vacuum space because no vacuum system is perfect and will leak small amounts
atmosphere over time.
The dry shipper’s inner vessel is wrapped with multi-layered super insulation. An aluminum shield or
two is also added to the neck tube, extending the length of the inner vessel. These act to intercept heat
input that penetrates across the outer vessel wall and vacuum space, and redirect it away from the
inner vessel.
A Fiberglas neck tube is added to join and seal the inner and outer vessels. This creates an annular
space and seals the annular space. Epoxy is used to fasten the neck tube and cement a plastic collar
around this joint. The outer vessel has a vacuum port to assist in maintaining the vacuum in the
annular space. The neck tube also reduces conductance of heat down the neck tube to the sample
well, further reducing boil off losses. Fiberglas has a very high resistance to heat transfer, which translates
to better thermal insulating of the sample.
There are two safety devices built into the dry shipper to prevent accidents. The vacuum port plug is a truncated
cone and designed to pop out at less than five pounds of pressure. It is held in place by two O-rings, which also
act as gaskets, sealing the annular space from the atmosphere. This prevents a catastrophic destruction of the
container should liquid nitrogen enter the annular space from the inner vessel for some reason.
The second safety device is the cap and insulating core that is attached. It is designed to allow cold vapor to
safely vent to the atmosphere. Without it, a dangerous overpressure situation can occur if anything were jammed
in the neck tube. The cap also can be locked in place preventing tampering with samples or loss of samples
during an external examination without compromising the safety function.
The dewar is basically unchanged from its original design concept of 100 years ago. The dry shipper is a simple
extension of that dewar design. The dry shipper like any piece of precision equipment will fail at some point in
time due to rough treatment, improper storage or improper use.

3. How Dry Shippers Fail
Failure of a dry shipper can happen in one of three ways:
 Loss of Vacuum
 Improperly Charged Prior to Use
 Improperly Handled While In Transit
Loss of vacuum in any dewar system results in degraded performance of the dewar. The dry shipper
requires at least as good a vacuum as any other cryogenic system. Antarctic Support Associates
(ASA) has not maintained the vacuum of these nitrogen systems to date. This is because these
nitrogen systems are sealed to prevent tampering with or the equipment to open the vacuum system
was not available from the vendor.
Loss of vacuum can occur in a variety of ways. The container’s outer vessel can be damaged resulting
in a puncture and a very rapid vacuum loss. The welding can become damaged with the same results.
The O-rings on the vacuum port plug can become hard and non-pliable, attacked by cold or chemicals,
and shrink. This shrinking effect allows air to pass through to the annular space. The vacuum port plug
can be removed allowing rapid repressurization of the annular space. The neck tube can develop
minute fractures that leak to the annular space over a long time period. Finally, the inner vessel could
rupture and allow liquid nitrogen to enter the annular space. Loss of vacuum is the easiest problem to
identify. Containers that have lost vacuum will not cool down and accept liquid readily or will warm up
very rapidly.
The 160-liter dewars in the United States Antarctic Program (USAP) inventory can not be maintained
by ASA because the annular space is sealed to prevent tampering by anyone other than a factory
maintenance program. The dewars of 50 liter capacity and smaller, including the dry shippers, have
provisions for checking and maintaining the vacuum system. In the case of Taylor-Wharton equipment,
they have expressly refused to sell the vacuum valve operator to us. This is the device used to open
the vacuum port and evacuate the annular space. ASA built such a device 1998 to assist in opening
the annular space, maintain the vacuum and facilitate the testing described in this report.
A dry shipper must be charged with liquid nitrogen prior to use. Instructions for this procedure
accompany every dry shipper from the factory. Many dry shippers carry these instructions inside the
shipping case. In any event, the instructions are available to personnel at every station. The
instructions come in several languages; English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. An improperly
charged dry shipper will warm up to room temperature much sooner than a properly charged one. In
some cases, as soon as 16 hours after charging, the dry shipper can be at room temperature. In the
best case scenario, the dry shipper will last for up to a week before warming.
Charging is simple and straightforward. The empty dry shipper is weighed and the weight noted on the
container in marker. The dry shipper is charged until it stops adsorbing liquid nitrogen. Freestanding
liquid is poured out and the container is weighed again. This weight is noted on the container’s side in
marker also. When possible the dry shipper can be left to stand for 24 hours with freestanding liquid in
it to help deeply cool the shield system. Properly charging a dry shipper may take up to two hours and
is worth every minute invested by the user.
A dry shipper must be shipped properly for it to work effectively. All containers have arrows indicating
the direction it must be oriented. Any other direction other than upright position reduces the
effectiveness of the container. A properly charged dry shipper can last 21 days in the upright position
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4. but only 10 days on its side. Turned up side down the holding time is further reduced to three days.
Improperly charged containers will compound these problems and result in potential sample loss.
Orientation problems stem from the fact that cold air (or nitrogen) will sink to the lowest point. Turned
upside down the nitrogen stays adsorbed but the cold nitrogen vapor flows out of the neck tube at an
accelerated rate, reducing the cold carrying capacity. In effect, the nitrogen is being poured out at a
very slow rate as a gas.
It is possible that all three modes can play a part in the failure of a dry shipper to achieve its goal;
successful sample shipment. All three modes are common and could be referred to as “common mode
failures”. The loss of vacuum mode was until recently thought to be rarer except if major damage to the
dry shipper’s outer canister occurred. That has changed significantly during this investigation.
Failure of Dry Shipper NSF # 02171, 1997
Dry shipper NSF # 02171 was brought to this investigator’s attention in May 1997. This dry shipper
was being used at Palmer Station and on the R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer. It was claimed that the dry
shipper failed and would not keep samples cold during transit. Digital photographs of the dry shipper
and the shipping case revealed nothing grossly wrong. It was requested that the dry shipper be sent to
the Crary Lab at McMurdo Station for further investigation.
In December 1997, I received the dry shipper and examined the container first hand. The external
shipping container showed some wear and tear consistent with normal use. No gross abnormalities
were found. The dry shipper itself was examined visually next.
The outer vessel was in good shape, showing only minor wear. The cap and neck tube was in
excellent shape and fit well with the container. The vacuum port cap was noted to be loose and was
easily removed by hand for further investigation. Upon removal of the protective cap, it was noted that
the vacuum port plug was physically loose. This indicated a loss of vacuum.
The container could not be tested further until 1998, because the proper tools for checking and
maintaining the vacuum were custom built in the machine shop. Consequently, the getter was
exposed to the atmosphere for an estimated 20 months. This resulted in the getter becoming
extremely contaminated.
A vacuum valve operator was placed on the vacuum port and then connected to a turbo molecular drag
pump. This vacuum pump is capable of pulling vacuums in the region of 0.1 Pa (one micron or 10-3
Torr). This is considered sufficient for most liquid helium applications so is more than adequate for
liquid nitrogen use as well.
It should take no more than 30 minutes to completely evacuate the annular space of a dry shipper.
This estimate is based upon the fact that a 250 liter liquid helium dewar requires 2 hours and is a much
larger volume to pump down. The line connecting the pump and the dry shipper pumped down to less
than five microns in a two-minute period. The vacuum valve operator was used to open the annular
space and the annular space pumped out.
A seventy-two hour period was required to pump the dewar out to 15 microns. This length of time
appears excessive but can be explained in three ways. The getter was extremely contaminated, the
vacuum lines had significant leaks or the inner vessel had a leak. Since the line pumped down very
quickly, we can rule out leaks in the line. The container was left to sit over night and the vacuum
checked again.
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5. No changes occurred in the vacuum and so the inner vessel was then filled with liquid nitrogen and
allowed to cool down. The container accepted liquid nitrogen in a normal manner and cooled down
without any observed abnormalities. After 24 hours, any freestanding liquid was dumped out.
A test to determine the effect of removing the vacuum plug was made. A threaded rod was screwed
into the vacuum port plug and the plug removed while the container was being observed by two
individuals. It was noted that all the liquid that was absorbed fell out of the absorbed state and began
rapid boiling. The outer vessel immediately became cold and frosted over. The inner vessel and outer
vessel warmed to room temperature in less than 8 hours.
The vacuum pump was prepared with new lines, clamps and cleaned prior to attachment to the dry
shipper again. The lines were tested to 5 microns of vacuum. The dry shipper was pumped down to
approximately 10 microns of vacuum. This involved the use of a heat gun to warm the inner and outer
vessels to desorb gases and water vapor, which adhere to the surfaces and the getter. The dry shipper
was filled with liquid nitrogen; allowed to stand for 24 hours and then a series of tests were conducted.
The dry shipper was tested in two modes: at “atmospheric pressure” and at “vacuum”, and in three
orientations: upright, on its side and upside down. The dry shipper was also fitted with a digital
thermometer to record temperatures inside, at the middle of the sample well. A Fluke Model 51 with a
K type thermocouple was used for this purpose. The meter and probe was calibrated with liquid
nitrogen, dry ice with alcohol, and an ice water bath to determine a temperature curve. The
thermometer probe was inserted through the neck core tube and plastic cap. The electronics for the
thermometer was attached to the outside of the container. The container was weighed once per day
on an electronic scale of known accuracy.
Tests conducted at “atmospheric pressure” were static tests to determine hold time of a well-prepared
dry shipper with a known-to-be-good vacuum oriented in an upright position. Tests under “vacuum”
were dynamic tests to try reproducing the pressure conditions inside a commercial aircraft’s baggage
compartment. Pressure in the baggage compartment was assumed no less than 10 PSIA. After the
dynamic test was completed and data analyzed it was determined that flights in low pressure cabins
(<10 PSIA) can adversely affect a dry shipper however normal cabin pressures (≥ 10 PSIA) do not impact the hold
time significantly. Hold time was reduced by one day at normal pressures while low pressures reduced the hold time by as many as five days. The static tests revealed a
normal hold time of 26 days for this container. Orientations other than upright will change these times by several days.
Since this container exhibited no unusual defects, pulled a normal vacuum and held liquid nitrogen in a
manner consist with what was expected the question remains, why did it fail? The answer lies in the
manner that it was probably shipped. The hypothesis is that the dry shipper was shipped on its side
with the vacuum port plug oriented in a downward direction. Cold gas flowing out of the container and
over the vacuum port pooled in a low spot and built up a cold sink around the plug. The cold gas
caused the O-ring seals to shrink and harden. This allowed extremely cold gas to be pulled into the
vacuum space. This reduced the vacuum and accelerated the evaporation rate. This was an
unchecked reaction and when the cold gas warmed up to sufficient temperatures, the greatly expanded
gas blew the vacuum port plug out completely. This made the container appear to have failed due to
failure of the inner vessel.
To test this theory, the dry shipper was completely charged once more. The dry shipper was laid on its
side, in the shipping case, with the port oriented as described. The container failed completely as
suspected within 12 hours. The problem then was not the container itself but the manner in which it
was handled by the cargo system outside of the control of ASA, NSF or the researcher. To compound
this, the failure could have occurred prior to the discovery of the problem. In other words, the failure
could have happened during the previous use and not been discovered.
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6. Three Dry Shippers from Palmer Station, 1998
A series of nine dry shippers were used by BP016/Vernet, then known as S-016/Vernet, during an
LTER cruise in the Bellinghausen Sea and while at Palmer Station. The dry shippers were utilized to
ship samples back to the researchers’ home institutes due to the failure of an instrument to function as
expected. Three of the dry shippers failed. These units were sent to ASAHQ for inspection to
determine the cause of failure.
Initial inspection of the dry shippers showed that each unit had a custom made shipping case. The
cases were quite sturdy and padded inside. Two of the cases had an extended base to prevent tipping
and discourage placement on its side. (Cargo handlers will place containers on a side to achieve a
maximum amount of cargo in a minimum amount of space when possible, frequently ignoring markings
and label to the contrary.) Each shipping case showed a fair amount of wear from many trips and were
in need of some maintenance but overall were in good shape and suitable for continued use.
Each dry shipper inspected showed a modest amount of wear on the surface finish. On two dry
shippers, the underlying metal was attacked by saltwater. Saltwater is assumed the attacking agent
due to the nature of the area, ships and Palmer Station, where they were used. One dry shipper had a
moderate dent, > 2MM but <5MM in depth on the side. While denting can be an indication of cause of
failure, it is not a direct cause of failure. Denting can also lead to reduced performance of a dry shipper.
No tests were performed to establish how severe a dent(s) might be before reduced performance
becomes intolerable nor have any studies of this type ever been undertaken.
The cap and necktube assembly was examined. Each cap showed some wear and abuse. All caps
sported cracks or chips. The foam core necktubes on all three dry shippers showed signs of being
chemically attacked. This attack was probably by a solvent such as acetone or hexane. Since the
neckcore tube is made of open-cell foam, it is susceptible to damage quite easily if care is not taken.
These almost appeared to have been dipped in a solvent or in strong fumes from a solvent.
The inner sample well was examined and each showed signs of corrosion. This is consistent with a
chemical attack by either an acid or a preservative such as an aldehyde of some type. The vacuum
port covers were removed and one vacuum port plug was loose (DSLP), one was “cocked” in the port
(DSCP) and the third appeared to be in place and satisfactory (DSSP). The dry shippers were sent to
McMurdo Station for further testing since a suitable vacuum pump and operator are not kept at
ASAHQ.
Testing at McMurdo consisted of checking the vacuum of each dry shipper. A vacuum system was
attached to dry shipper DSLP in a manner consist with the methods described for NSF #02171 earlier
in this report. This dry shipper was found to have a plug which was unseated and hence no vacuum.
The port area was cleaned of all debris that had built up. Clearly, this container needed some
maintenance beyond a simple visual inspection. A vacuum was drawn on the annular space and left to
run over night. The vacuum had not dropped much beyond 26 KPa (200 microns) after eighteen hours
of pumping. The minimum acceptable vacuum for our needs is 25 microns. This was most
discouraging. It also leads to the conclusion that the annular space had a very large leak. Since no
obvious defects appeared on the outside of this container the leak could occur in only two other places;
the Fiberglas necktube or the sample well itself. The vacuum pump simply pumped until the leak rate
and vacuum pumping rate reached equilibrium. The leak is assumed to be in the sample well because
the necktube showed no gross deformations that would account for such a leak. The cause of failure
must be from chemical corrosion of the sample well.
A vacuum system was attached to dry shipper DSCP in a manner consist with the methods described
for NSF #02171 and dry shipper DSLP earlier in this report. This dry shipper was found to have a plug,
which was unseated but cocked, in the port, allowing it to seal somewhat. This dry shipper was
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7. connected to the vacuum system and opened. The annular space actually showed a positive pressure
of 4 PSIG. A vacuum was drawn on the annular space and left to run over night. The vacuum had not
dropped much beyond 17 KPa (125 microns) after eighteen hours of pumping. The minimum
acceptable vacuum for our needs is 25 microns. It leads to the conclusion that the annular space had a
large leak also. Since no obvious defects appeared on the outside of this container the leak could
occur in only two other places; the Fiberglas necktube or the sample well itself. The vacuum pump simply
pumped until the leak rate and vacuum pumping rate reached equilibrium. The leak is assumed to be in the
sample well because the necktube showed no gross deformations that would account for such a leak. The cause
of failure must be from chemical corrosion of the sample well.
Both of these dry shippers exhibited a large amount of loose powdery material in the bottom of the sample well
and some larger sized debris (>1MM across but <5MM). Some of this material was biological in nature and some
of it appeared to be soil or sand-like. The fine powdery material was from the corrosion at the bottom of the
sample well. Both these dry shippers were permanently removed from the inventory due to the inability to retain a
satisfactory vacuum.
The last dry shipper, DSSP, was connected to the vacuum system as described previously. The vacuum was
opened and found insufficient to assist in isolating the annular space properly or about 67 KPa (500 microns).
This unit was left on the vacuum pump for 18 hours, finished pumping down to under 700 Pa (<5 microns) and
then taken off the pump. The dry shipper was charged with liquid nitrogen over a two-hour period and then left to
stand for one week. The result was that the dry shipper was found to not have lost more than expected over the
time-period. This dry shipper’s shipping case was the case without the modified base to prevent easy tipping
over. A final test showed that this dry shipper could last as long as 24 days before beginning to warm. This dry
shipper was returned to service.
It is theorized that this dry shipper was somehow tipped on its side and this allowed cold gas to flow over the
vacuum port plug. However, unlike other containers, the vacuum loss could be considered minimal. Minimal
meaning that the vacuum plug was not forced out and a total loss of vacuum occurred. The end-result still means
lost samples.
Two Failed Dry Shippers from McMurdo Station, 1997 & 1998
Two dry shippers out of McMurdo Station failed in the last two years. One in 1997 was utilized by a
researcher with S-005/DeVries and one in 1998 was utilized by BO-012/Petzel. In the case of the dry
shipper used by the S-005 researcher, the problem was quite easy to identify. The failure of the dry
shipper utilized by the BO-012 researcher confirmed the Palmer Station failure.
A dry shipper left McMurdo Station in 1997, and was reported as warming up upon reaching
Christchurch, New Zealand. This dry shipper was charged by the researcher. Typically, ASA Lab Staff
charge all dry shippers prior to being turned over to scientists to ensure a proper charging.
The dry shipper was returned to the Crary Lab and examined to obvious gross defects. The shipping
case was found to be sound and the dry shipper did not exhibit any dents on the outside or gross
deformations of the interior. The vacuum system was attached to the vacuum port plug and the
vacuum was determined to be <270 Pa (2 microns) inside the annular space. The dry shipper was
charged and left to stand for one week. It was weighed periodically to confirm that it was holding the
charge as specified by the manufacturer. This dry shipper showed no abnormalities during the test.
The conclusion drawn from this container was that the dry shipper was not properly charged by the
researcher. It is unfortunate that this happened however the lab staff that provided the container were
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8. assured by the scientist that they knew how to charge the container properly. The samples were
transferred to dry ice in Christchurch continued on to the United States normally.
The last dry shipper known to fail from McMurdo confirmed the problems found in dry shippers traveling
through South America. A researcher from BO-012/Petzel returned to her home institute in the United
States from McMurdo Station. She reported that the dry shipper had failed, exhibited large amounts of
“sweat” on the outer shell but appeared normal otherwise. The dry shipper was returned to McMurdo
Station for further evaluation.
This dry shipper was charged per recommendations. It was allowed to sit overnight undisturbed. In the
morning, eighteen hours later, the dry shipper began to show signs of sweating and rapid weight loss
due to higher than normal evaporation. The container was allowed to warm up to room temperature
and the vacuum system was connected as described earlier for other containers.
The vacuum of the annular space was noticeably degraded. After the vacuum was restored the
container was again charged and tested. It showed no signs of abnormal behavior. It was then
recharged and placed on it side with the vacuum port down to reconfirm the theory of the port behavior.
The container failed again within twenty hours. A proper vacuum was re-established after warming to
room temperature again.
What Can Be Done To Prevent Failures
There are many things that can be done to prevent failures and optimize the holding capabilities of a
dry shipper. ASA and researcher must work hand-in-hand together to prevent these failures.
It is strongly recommended that each Lab Supervisor or their designee familiarize themselves with the
dry shipper and its function. The manual printed by the manufacturer is very specific about handling
and charging the container. It is also strongly recommended that the researcher review the manual
prior to use to understand the capabilities of the container.
It is suggested that the same individual perform all charging of the dry shippers prior to use at each
station. It is also suggested the dry shippers be charged 24 hours prior to sample storage to identify
poorly performing containers. It is the researchers responsibility to ensure that the dry shipper is
properly charged if they insist on performing the charging operation.
Dry shippers need to be filled by weight. All dry shippers should have the initial empty weight written in
marker on its side. A small portable hanging scale can even be used during ship operations when a
larger floor type scale is impractical. A visual inspection must also be made to determine wear and
suitability of use other than gross damage. A test with a damaged dry shipper indicates that failure by
direct puncture of the outer canister will be almost never encountered. Several blows to the sidewall
with a sharp pointed object (a geologist’s hammer) proved that the sidewalls can resist a moderately
struck direct blow. Looking for corrosion, broken welds, damaged caps and loose fixtures is called for.
A copy of the instruction manual for each container should accompany the dry shipper inside the
shipping case. It is suggested that the manual be placed inside a small plastic bag and secured in the
top of the shipping case to be available for immediate inspection by users, shipping agents or customs
officials.
All factory markings (arrows) that indicate package orientation must be removed and replaced as soon
as possible. The arrows are too small and dark causing them to blend into the black case. McMurdo
Station personnel have stripped off most of the old arrows already and replaced them with a much
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9. larger red arrow on a white background to make it easier to identify package orientation. It is
suggested that eight (8) arrows per package are NOT excessive.
Users of dry shippers should ensure that samples are secure in the sample well. They should inspect
the container to ensure that no freestanding liquid is in the sample well. They should always visually
inspect the dry shipper and case prior to accepting the container and reject any device and case with
obvious gross defects. The ultimate user must also remind shipping agents that the container must
remain upright while in transit. This point cannot be stressed enough since rule changes prohibit the
dry shipper from being carried onboard in the passenger cabin.
It is recommended that a review of the samples be made prior to use to ensure that a dry shipper is
required. Often a dry shipper is chosen just because it is colder. Preserved samples most likely do not
need a dry shipper and other means of sample shipment can be chosen. The use of solvents and
corrosive materials in and around the dry shipper should be reviewed and the dry shippers removed
from the area if and whenever possible.
It is always desirable to know the state of the vacuum in the annular space. Suitable vacuum pumps
are available at South Pole Station and McMurdo Station only. It is strongly recommended that an oil-
less vacuum pump is purchased for high vacuum use at Palmer Station to allow for the examination
and maintenance of these dry shippers and other cryogenic equipment as the station needs grow. A
suitable vacuum valve operator will also be required and duplicates are being made at McMurdo
Station for all areas were dry shippers are used. An oil-less pump will make it much easier to maintain
the vacuum system and reduce worries of backstreaming oil into the annular spaces. This
contamination cannot be removed and will only degrade perform of the system. These pumps can
have other uses in a lab setting such as in vacuum traps, distillation columns or lyophilizing when
vapors are non-corrosive in nature. A vacuum of less than 650 Pa (5 microns) should be considered to
the target before releasing the dry shipper for use.
It is highly recommended that the vacuum port plug be sealed with pliable but viscous vacuum grease.
The port and plug act as a safety device and must not be rendered inert. However, at South Pole
Station, dewars that remained outside were shown to fail and sealing the port with vacuum grease
helped reduce or prevent this failure mode. Similarly, the person performing the maintenance of the
dry shippers should use the same technique to help prevent these failures by filling in the port. The
frozen grease prevents the infiltration of air into the annular space when the o-rings fail from the cold
vapors. Dow Corning silicone vacuum greases are recommended over the Apiezon type greases or
waxes due to cost and suitable for this exact application.
A review of the shipping case should be conducted. Shipping cases with bases that prevent or make
tipping to fit difficult are encouraged. These cases may be prohibitively expensive or possibly rejected
by shipping agents, however they would help minimize the failure by being laid on a side.
Conclusions
The recent failures are probably due mostly to the new regulations prohibiting dry shippers in the
passenger cabin. It is unfortunate that these regulations have touched the USAP in this manner but it
is our duty to comply until such a time as the regulatory agencies recognize the inherent safety of these
devices. It is also unfortunate that sometimes a dry shipper is under-charged. However, it pays to read
the manual prior to use because familiarity does indeed breed contempt. Three minutes to read a
manual is a small price to pay for the years of planning, research and money spent to gather a few
hundred samples.
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10. Maintenance, generally, has never been a problem before. However, if containers are not shipped
properly, and we can expect this to continue, then maintenance issues will require more attention to
prevent failure and sample loss. The purchase of two or three vacuum pumps to maintain these
containers will be modest compared to sample loss. Visual inspections can go a long way in
preventing early failures as well, especially in remedial cap and neck tube care.
The change of the orientation indicators is likely to have the biggest impact. The markings are fading
and are damaged in some instances making it difficult to determine “which way is up” for the shipping
case. I think that announcing to the shipping agent that the package must remain upright and having
the manual available for inspection when questions and concerns arrive is important. At McMurdo
Station, we have placed copies of the IATA manual pages regarding dry shippers in the case.
The failures experienced were unique and unexpected for a sturdy built container like the dry shipper
with the exception of the one that failed due to under-charging. These containers have been used for
many years and ASA believes the recent spate of failures to be unique only. The failures have caused
ASA to reevaluate the way in which the container is generally viewed, from little maintenance to
periodic maintenance required, and bringing the ultimate user more “in tune” with how the manufacturer
perceived their equipment to be used. ASA believes that the dry shipper will continue to serve the
USAP in critical cold sample storage and shipping for years to come.
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