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Title: Uncovering uranium isotopic heterogeneity of fuel pellets from the fifth collaborative materials exercise of The Nuclear Forensics International Technical Working Group

Journal Article · · Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry
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  1. Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), Ottawa, ON (Canada)
  2. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
  3. Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston, Reading (United Kingdom)
  4. Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives, Île de France (France)
  5. European Commission, Karlsruhe (Germany). Joint Research Centre; IAEA Laboratories, Seibersdorf (Austria)
  6. Laboratory for Microparticle Analysis, Moscow (Russia)
  7. European Commission, Karlsruhe (Germany). Joint Research Centre
  8. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations

In 2017, the Nuclear Forensics International Technical Working Group organized their fifth Collaborative Materials Exercise (CMX-5). The exercise samples were two uranium dioxide fuel pellets manufactured from the same starting materials by different processes to have similar bulk isotopic composition, but different spatial uranium isotopic distributions. Sets of identical materials were sent to all participating laboratories, who then utilized their existing nuclear forensic capabilities to independently analyse fuel pellets and identify similarities and differences of the materials’ characteristics. Here we present and compare the ability of different analytical techniques to spatially resolve uranium isotopic heterogeneity in the uranium oxide fuel pellets.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-07NA27344
OSTI ID:
1838603
Report Number(s):
LLNL-JRNL-807400; 1012769; TRN: US2301028
Journal Information:
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Vol. 326, Issue 3; ISSN 0236-5731
Publisher:
SpringerCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (12)

Application of modern autoradiography to nuclear forensic analysis journal May 2018
Spatial distribution of uranium isotopes in solid nuclear materials using laser ablation multi-collector ICP-MS journal July 2018
NanoSIP: NanoSIMS Applications for Microbial Biology book January 2012
Assessment of uranium inhomogeneity and isotope imaging for nuclear forensics journal September 2020
Interviewing a Silent (Radioactive) Witness through Nuclear Forensic Analysis journal September 2015
Microscale Isotopic Variation in Uranium Fuel Pellets with Implications for Nuclear Forensics journal July 2019
Efficient Isotope Ratio Analysis of Uranium Particles in Swipe Samples by Total-Reflection X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry and Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry journal November 2004
Nuclear Forensics: Scientific Analysis Supporting Law Enforcement and Nuclear Security Investigations journal January 2016
Determination of isotopic composition of uranium in the CMX-4 samples by SIMS journal January 2018
State of practice and emerging application of analytical techniques of nuclear forensic analysis: highlights from the 5th Collaborative Materials Exercise of the Nuclear Forensics International Technical Working Group (ITWG) journal December 2019
Uranium assay and trace element analysis of the fourth collaborative material exercise samples by the modified Davies-Gray method and the ICP-MS/OES techniques journal January 2018
Isotopic and Compositional Variations in Single Nuclear Fuel Pellet Particles Analyzed by Nanoscale Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry journal December 2019

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Uncovering Uranium Isotopic Heterogeneity of Fuel Pellets from the Fifth Collaborative Materials Exercise of the Nuclear Forensics International Technical Working Group
Journal Article · Tue Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 2020 · Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry · OSTI ID:1838603
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State of practice and emerging application of analytical techniques of nuclear forensic analysis: highlights from the 4th Collaborative Materials Exercise of the Nuclear Forensics International Technical Working Group (ITWG)
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State of practice and emerging application of analytical techniques of nuclear forensic analysis: highlights from the 4th Collaborative Materials Exercise of the Nuclear Forensics International Technical Working Group (ITWG)
Journal Article · Fri Sep 16 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry · OSTI ID:1838603

Related Subjects

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
nuclear forensic analysis of uranium fuel pellets
uranium isotopic analysis
secondary ion mass spectrometry
autoradiography
inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry
laser ablation