SEALING BOLT, LOCKING SYSTEM AND METHOD OF LOCKING/UNLOCKING

A sealing bolt (10) for sealing a container (49) (e.g. for fissile materials), the sealing bolt (10) adapted to cooperate, in use, with a locking device (46) for locking a container lid (44) to a container body (48) of the container (49). The sealing bolt (10) includes an upper part (12) (i.e. adapted to be manipulated by an operator using a tool), a lower part (14) (cooperating with the locking device 46) and an axial rod (5) connecting the upper and lower parts (12, 14), the upper part (12), lower part (14) and axial rod (5) being arranged coaxially about an axis. An integrity element (54) is disposed in the upper part (12) and a release arrangement (5, 24, 36, 64) (a detachable conical end-piece 24 retained by a ball 34 and recess 32 arrangement) is disposed so as to be releasably attached to the lower part (14). The sealing bolt (10) is movable, through a first operator actuation of the upper part, from a first state, in which the integrity element (54) is intact, to a second state, in which the integrity element (54) of the sealing bolt is visibly broken. The sealing bolt (10) is movable, through a second operator actuation of the upper part (12), from the second state to a third state, in which the release arrangement (5, 24, 36, 64) is released, thereby enabling disengagement of the locking device (46) and removal of the lid (44) from the container body (48). A locking system for a container, a method of releasably sealing a container, and a method of unsealing a container, are also disclosed.