Retrospective Reactor Dosimetry with Zirconium Alloy Samples
Retrospective measurements are routinely performed with stainless steel samples. Recent experiments have been successfully conducted using zirconium alloy samples, involving somewhat different neuron activation reactions than are normally encountered with stainless steel samples. The alloy composition consisted of nominally 1% (by weight) niobium, 1% tin, and 0.1% iron, with the balance zirconium. The activation products observed in the samples by gamma spectroscopy included Zr-95, Nb-95, Sn-113, Sb-125, Mn-54, Co-60, Nb-94, and Ta-182. The niobium was then chemically separated following ASTM procedure E1297 and the Nb-93m activities were measured by x-ray spectroscopy. The thermal neutron fluences, as determined independently by the neutron capture gamma reactions to Zr-95, Sn-113, Nb-94, and Sn/Sb-125, were in excellent agreement. The fast neutron fluences, as determined separately by the Fe-54(n,p)Mn-54 and Nb-93(n,n’)Nb-93m reactions, were also in good agreement, thus demonstrating the versatility of the retrospective dosimetry technique.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 967216
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-60349; TRN: US200923%%275
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Reactor Dosimetry State of the Art 2008: Proceedings of the 13th International Symposium on Reactor Dosimetry, May 25-30, 2008, Akersloot, The Netherlands, 58-66
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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