Measurement of uranium and plutonium in solid waste by passive photon or neutron counting and isotopic neutron source interrogation

Technical Report · Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5449245· OSTI ID:5449245

Crane, T W

A summary of the status and applicability of nondestructive assay (NDA) techniques for the measurement of uranium and plutonium in 55-gal barrels of solid waste is reported. The NDA techniques reviewed include passive gamma-ray and x-ray counting with scintillator, solid state, and proportional gas photon detectors, passive neutron counting, and active neutron interrogation with neutron and gamma-ray counting. The active neutron interrogation methods are limited to those employing isotopic neutron sources. Three generic neutron sources (alpha-n, photoneutron, and /sup 252/Cf) are considered. The neutron detectors reviewed for both prompt and delayed fission neutron detection with the above sources include thermal (/sup 3/He, /sup 10/BF/sub 3/) and recoil (/sup 4/He, CH/sub 4/) proportional gas detectors and liquid and plastic scintillator detectors. The instrument found to be best suited for low-level measurements (< 10 nCi/g) is the /sup 252/Cf Shuffler. The measurement technique consists of passive neutron counting followed by cyclic activation using a /sup 252/Cf source and delayed neutron counting with the source withdrawn. It is recommended that a waste assay station composed of a /sup 252/Cf Shuffler, a gamma-ray scanner, and a screening station be tested and evaluated at a nuclear waste site. 34 figures, 15 tables.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 5449245
• Report Number(s): LA-8294-MS; TRN: 80-010409
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
PLUTONIUM
NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
NUCLEAR REACTION ANALYSIS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
URANIUM
DELAYED NEUTRONS
GAMMA DETECTION
NEUTRON BEAMS
NEUTRON DETECTORS
NEUTRON SOURCES
PROMPT NEUTRONS
PROPORTIONAL COUNTERS
SCINTILLATION COUNTERS
SOLID WASTES
ACTINIDES
BARYONS
BEAMS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
DETECTION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
FERMIONS
FISSION NEUTRONS
HADRONS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
METALS
NEUTRONS
NUCLEON BEAMS
NUCLEONS
PARTICLE BEAMS
PARTICLE SOURCES
RADIATION DETECTION
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIATION SOURCES
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
WASTES
052000* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Management
400101 - Activation
Nuclear Reaction
Radiometric &amp; Radiochemical Procedures