Transmission-corrected x-ray fluorescence analysis of uranium and plutonium solutions using a dual transmission source
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRFA) is a technique that has been implemented at spent nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities for nondestructive measurement of uranium and/or plutonium concentrations in process streams. In XRFA, atoms of interest within a sample are fluoresced, and from the detected intensities of the atoms' characteristic X rays, the concentrations of the fluoresced atoms can be determined. The authors used 122-keV gamma rays from collimated {sup 57}Co sources to optimally fluoresce uranium or plutonium atoms in solutions. A portion of the stimulated K X rays are detected by a collimated high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector. A common difficulty with X-ray fluorescence analysis of solutions is attenuation of the fluoresced X rays by the solution, which makes the X-ray intensities not directly proportional to the concentration of the atoms being measured. The current calibration procedure used to determine this nonlinear relationship for uranium/plutonium solutions requires at least six solution standards containing uranium/plutonium concentrations that span the range of interest and are chemically similar to the solutions to be measured. The calibration curve is representative only of the uranium/plutonium and acid concentrations of the standards used. To reduce the sensitivity of XRFA to variations in the solution matrix, a method has been developed to accurately correct the X-ray intensities for sample self-attenuation by measuring transmissions through the solution at two different energies.
- OSTI ID:
- 5693148
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-871110-; CODEN: TANSA; TRN: 89-028006
- Journal Information:
- Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (USA), Vol. 55; Conference: 3. international conference on facility operations safeguards interface, San Diego, CA (USA), 29 Nov - 4 Dec 1987; ISSN 0003-018X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Nondestructive, energy-dispersive x-ray fluorescence analysis of product-stream concentrations from reprocessed LWR fuels
Transmission-corrected x-ray fluorescence analysis of uranium and plutonium solutions using a dual transmission source
Related Subjects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
FUEL REPROCESSING PLANTS
NUCLEAR MATERIALS MANAGEMENT
PLUTONIUM
X-RAY FLUORESCENCE ANALYSIS
URANIUM
ACCOUNTABILITY
ACCURACY
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
CALIBRATION
COBALT 57
GAMMA RADIATION
HIGH-PURITY GE DETECTORS
NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
QUANTITY RATIO
SAFEGUARDS
SENSITIVITY
SPENT FUEL ELEMENTS
ACTINIDES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
COBALT ISOTOPES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DISPERSIONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
ELEMENTS
FUEL ELEMENTS
GE SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
IONIZING RADIATIONS
ISOTOPES
MANAGEMENT
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
METALS
MIXTURES
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIATIONS
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTOR COMPONENTS
SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS
SOLUTIONS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
X-RAY EMISSION ANALYSIS
055001* - Nuclear Fuels- Safeguards
Inspection
& Accountability- Technical Aspects
050800 - Nuclear Fuels- Spent Fuels Reprocessing