U.S. Department of EnergyOffice of Scientific and Technical Information
Test and evaluation of the in-line plutonium solution K-absorption-edge densitometer at the Savannah River Plant. Phase I. Off-line testing results
Abstract
An in-line, plutonium-solution, K-edge absorption densitometer has been developed at Los Alamos and is currently undergoing test and evaluation at the Savannah River Plant (SRP). The first phase of the test and evaluation (off-line instrument calibration and solution assays) was completed, and preparations are under way to install the instrument in-line, as soon as process schedules permit. Calibration data in the design concentration range of 25 to 40 g Pu/L demonstrate routine achievement of densitometry assay precisions of 0.5% or better in 40 min. Plutonium assays at concentrations outside the calibration range were investigated in an effort to define better the limitations of the instrument and address other possible assay situations at SRP. Densitometry precisions obtained for 40-min assays range from 3% to 5 g Pu/L down to 0.4% at 70 g Pu/L. At higher plutonium concentrations, the precision deteriorated due to increasing gamma-ray absorption by the solution. In addition, with actinide concentrations above approximately 100 g/L, the assay accuracy also suffered because of enhanced small-angle scattering effects in the large sample cell. Measurements on mixed U/Pu solutions demonstrated the feasibility of accurate plutonium assays with correction for the large uranium matrix contributions being determined from the measurement data. Themore »
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 5291926
- Report Number(s):
- LA-9124-MS
ON: DE82019193
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- Resource Type:
- Technical Report
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION; 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; PLUTONIUM; RADIATION ABSORPTION ANALYSIS; PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES; CALIBRATION; DENSITOMETERS; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; GAMMA DETECTION; GAMMA RADIATION; ISOTOPE RATIO; NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS; NUCLEAR MATERIALS MANAGEMENT; ON-LINE MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS; PERFORMANCE; PLUTONIUM 238; PLUTONIUM 239; PLUTONIUM 241; PROCESS SOLUTIONS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; ACTINIDE ISOTOPES; ACTINIDE NUCLEI; ACTINIDES; ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; DATA; DETECTION; DISPERSIONS; ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION; ELEMENTS; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; EVEN-ODD NUCLEI; HEAVY NUCLEI; INFORMATION; IONIZING RADIATIONS; ISOTOPES; MANAGEMENT; MEASURING INSTRUMENTS; METALS; MIXTURES; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEI; NUMERICAL DATA; ON-LINE SYSTEMS; PHOTOMETERS; RADIATION DETECTION; RADIATIONS; RADIOISOTOPES; SOLUTIONS; TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; 055001* - Nuclear Fuels- Safeguards, Inspection, & Accountability- Technical Aspects; 400103 - Radiometric & Radiochemical Procedures- (-1987)
Citation Formats
Smith, Jr, H A, Marks, T, and Johnson, S S. Test and evaluation of the in-line plutonium solution K-absorption-edge densitometer at the Savannah River Plant. Phase I. Off-line testing results. United States: N. p., 1982.
Web. doi:10.2172/5291926.
Smith, Jr, H A, Marks, T, & Johnson, S S. Test and evaluation of the in-line plutonium solution K-absorption-edge densitometer at the Savannah River Plant. Phase I. Off-line testing results. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/5291926
Smith, Jr, H A, Marks, T, and Johnson, S S. 1982.
"Test and evaluation of the in-line plutonium solution K-absorption-edge densitometer at the Savannah River Plant. Phase I. Off-line testing results". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/5291926. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5291926.
@article{osti_5291926,
title = {Test and evaluation of the in-line plutonium solution K-absorption-edge densitometer at the Savannah River Plant. Phase I. Off-line testing results},
author = {Smith, Jr, H A and Marks, T and Johnson, S S},
abstractNote = {An in-line, plutonium-solution, K-edge absorption densitometer has been developed at Los Alamos and is currently undergoing test and evaluation at the Savannah River Plant (SRP). The first phase of the test and evaluation (off-line instrument calibration and solution assays) was completed, and preparations are under way to install the instrument in-line, as soon as process schedules permit. Calibration data in the design concentration range of 25 to 40 g Pu/L demonstrate routine achievement of densitometry assay precisions of 0.5% or better in 40 min. Plutonium assays at concentrations outside the calibration range were investigated in an effort to define better the limitations of the instrument and address other possible assay situations at SRP. Densitometry precisions obtained for 40-min assays range from 3% to 5 g Pu/L down to 0.4% at 70 g Pu/L. At higher plutonium concentrations, the precision deteriorated due to increasing gamma-ray absorption by the solution. In addition, with actinide concentrations above approximately 100 g/L, the assay accuracy also suffered because of enhanced small-angle scattering effects in the large sample cell. Measurements on mixed U/Pu solutions demonstrated the feasibility of accurate plutonium assays with correction for the large uranium matrix contributions being determined from the measurement data. The /sup 239/ /sup 240/Pu weight fractions and /sup 241/Pu//sup 239/Pu and /sup 238/Pu//sup 239/Pu isotopic ratios can be determined. In a mockup of the in-line solution plumbing system, all assay sequences, error conditions, and interlock criteria were exercised and verified to be working properly.},
doi = {10.2172/5291926},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5291926},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1982},
month = {Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1982}
}