Abstract
High precision gamma spectrometry measurements have been made on five sets of uranium isotope abundance reference materials for nondestructive assay (NDA). These sets are intended for international safeguards use as primary reference materials for the determination of the235U abundance in homogeneous uranium bulk material by gamma spectrometry. The measurements were made to determine the count rate uniformity of the235U 185.7 keV gamma-ray as well as the235U isotope abundance for each sample. Since the samples were packaged such that the U3O8 is infinitely thick for the 185.7 keV gamma-ray, the measured count rate was not dependent on the material density. In addition, the activity observed by the detector was collimated to simulate calibration conditions used to measure bulk material in the field. The sample-to-sample variations observed within the 5 sets of samples ranged between 0.005–0.11% (1s) with standard deviations of the mean ranging from 0.01–0.02%. This observed variation appears to be due predominantly to counting statistics and not to material inhomogeneity and/or packaging. The results of this study indicate that accuracy of235U determinations via gamma spectrometry, in the range of few hundredths of a percent (2σ), is achievable. The main requirement for achieving this level of accuracy is a set of standards whose235U isotope abundances are known to within 0.01% (2σ).
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
L. A. KULL, R. O. GINAVEN, Guidelines for Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy Measurements of235U Enrichment, BNL-504/4, 1974.
A. M. BRESESTI, M. BRESESTI, Application of Gamma-Ray Techniques in Safeguards, ESARDA-Practical Applications of R and D in the Field of Safeguards, ESARDA Symposium Proceedings, Rome, Italy, 1974.
L. A. KULL, R. O. GINAVEN, J. E. GLANCY, At. Energy Rev., 14 (1976) 4.
P. MATUSSEK, H. ALLEX, A Computerized235U Enrichment Monitor for Continuous Process Control Measurements in a LWR Fuel Fabrication Plant, Proc. of the 1st Annual Symposium on Safeguards and Nuclear Material Management, Brussels, Belgium, ESARDA Report No. 10, April, 1979.
J. K. SPRINGLE, Jr., H. R. BAXMAN, D. G. LANGNER, T. R. CANADA, T. E. SAMPSON, The In-Plant Evaluation of a Uranium NDA System, Measurement Technology for Safeguards and Materials Control, T. R. CANADA, B. S. CARPENTER (Eds), NBS Spec. Publ. 582, 1980, p. 324.
R. J. S. HARRY, Enrichment Standards for Gamma Spectrometry, Proc. 6th ESARDA Symp. on Safeguards and Nuclear Material Management, Venice, Italy, ESARDA Report No. 17, May, 1984.
P. DEBIÈVRE, H. MEYER, J. VAN AUDENHOVE, B. S. CARPENTER, J. W. GRAMLICH, Progress Report on the Establishment of Uranium Isotope Abundance RM's for NDA, Proc. 4th ESARDA Symp. on Safeguards and Nuclear Material Management, Petten, The Netherlands, ESARDA Report No. 15, April, 1982.
P. MATUSSEK, Accurate Determination of235U Isotope Abundance by Gamma Spectrometry, A User's Manual for the Certified Reference Material, EC NRM 171/NBS SRM 969, KfK Report 3752, 1984.
P. DEBIÈVRE, H. L. ESCHBACH, R. LESSER, H. MEYER, J. VAN AUDENHOVE, B. S. CARPENTER,235Uranium Isotope Abundance Certified Reference Material for Gamma Spectrometry, EC Nuclear Reference Material 171 Commission of the European Communities Certification Report COM 4153, 1985.
B. S. CARPENTER, J. W. GRAMLICH, R. R. GREENBERG, L. A. MACHLAN, P. DEBIÈVRE, H. L. ESCHBACH, H. MEYER, J. VAN AUDENHOVE, V. E. CONNOLLY, N. M. TRAHEY, A. C. ZOOK, Standard Reference Material:235Uranium Isotope Abundance Standard Reference Materials for Gamma Spectrometry Measurements, NBS Special Publication 260-96, National Bureau of Standards, Washington, DC, 1985.
E. L. GARNER, L. A. MACHLAN, W. R. SHIELDS, Uranium Isotopic Standard Reference Materials, NBS Special Publication 260-27, National Bureau of Standards, Washington, DC, 1971.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Greenberg, R.R., Carpenter, B.S. High accuracy determination of235U in nondestructive assay standards by gamma spectrometry. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Articles 111, 177–197 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02060534
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02060534