Apparatus and method for quantitative assay of generic transuranic wastes from nuclear reactors
A combination of passive and active neutron measurements which yields quantitative information about the isotopic composition of transuranic wastes from nuclear power or weapons material manufacture reactors is described. From the measurement of prompt and delayed neutron emission and the incidence of two coincidentally emitted neutrons from induced fission of fissile material in the sample, one can quantify /sup 233/U, /sup 235/U and /sup 239/Pu isotopes in waste samples. Passive coincidence counting, including neutron multiplicity measurement and determination of the overall passive neutron flux additionally enables the separate quantitative evaluation of spontaneous fission isotopes such as /sup 240/Pu, /sup 244/Cm and /sup 252/Cf, and the spontaneous alpha particle emitter /sup 241/Am. These seven isotopes are the most important constituents of wastes from nuclear power reactors and once the mass of each isotope present is determined by the apparatus and method of the instant invention, the overall alpha particle activity can be determined to better than 1 nCi/g from known radioactivity data. Therefore, in addition to the quantitative analysis of the waste sample useful for later reclamation purposes, the alpha particle activity can be determined to decide whether ''permanent'' low-level burial is appropriate for the waste sample.
- Assignee:
- Dept. of Energy
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4483816
- OSTI ID:
- 5909161
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Apparatus and method for quantitative assay of generic transuranic wastes from nuclear reactors
TERNARY FISSION IN U$sup 233$, U$sup 235$, Pu$sup 239$, AND Pu$sup 24$$sup 1$
Related Subjects
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
440101* -- Radiation Instrumentation-- General Detectors or Monitors & Radiometric Instruments
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
AMERICIUM 241
AMERICIUM ISOTOPES
CALIFORNIUM 244
CALIFORNIUM ISOTOPES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CURIUM 244
CURIUM ISOTOPES
DESIGN
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FISSION PRODUCTS
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MATERIALS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
MONITORS
NEUTRON DETECTORS
NEUTRON FLUX
NEUTRON MONITORS
NEUTRON SOURCES
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PARTICLE SOURCES
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM 240
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIATION FLUX
RADIATION MONITORS
RADIATION SOURCES
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTORS
URANIUM 233
URANIUM 235
URANIUM ISOTOPES
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES