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Title: Detailed Destructive Post-Irradiation Examinations of Mixed Uranium and Plutonium Oxide Fuel

Abstract

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) Fissile Materials Disposition Program (FMDP) is pursuing disposal of surplus weapons-usable plutonium by reactor irradiation as the fissile constituent of MOX fuel. Lead test assemblies (LTAs) have been irradiated for approximately 36 months in Duke Energy's Catawba-1 nuclear power plant (NPP). Per the mixed oxide (MOX) fuel topical report, approved by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), destructive post-irradiation examinations (PIEs) are to be performed on second cycle rods (irradiated to an average burnup of approximately 45 GWd/MTHM). The Radiochemical Analysis Group (RAG) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is currently performing the detailed destructive post-irradiation examinations (PIE) on four of the mixed uranium and plutonium oxide fuel rods. The analytical process involves dissolution of designated fuel segments in a shielded hot cell for high precision quantification of select fission products and actinide isotopes employing isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) among other analyses. The hot cell dissolution protocol to include the collection and subsequent alkaline fusion digestion of the fuel's acid resistant metallic particulates will be presented. Although the IDMS measurements of the fission products and actinide isotopes will not be completed by the time of the 51st INMM meeting, the setup andmore » testing of the HPLC chromatographic separations in preparation for these measurements will be discussed.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. ORNL
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1009918
DOE Contract Number:  
DE-AC05-00OR22725
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: INMM 51st Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD, USA, 20100710, 20100715
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; ACTINIDE NUCLEI; DESTRUCTIVE TESTING; FISSILE MATERIALS; FISSION PRODUCTS; FUEL RODS; HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY; HOT CELLS; IRRADIATION; ISOTOPE DILUTION; MASS SPECTROSCOPY; NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS; MIXED OXIDE FUELS; PLUTONIUM; PLUTONIUM OXIDES; POST-IRRADIATION EXAMINATION; RADIOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS; URANIUM

Citation Formats

Delashmitt, Jeffrey, Keever, Tamara, Smith, Rob R, Hexel, Cole R, and Ilgner, Ralph H. Detailed Destructive Post-Irradiation Examinations of Mixed Uranium and Plutonium Oxide Fuel. United States: N. p., 2010. Web.
Delashmitt, Jeffrey, Keever, Tamara, Smith, Rob R, Hexel, Cole R, & Ilgner, Ralph H. Detailed Destructive Post-Irradiation Examinations of Mixed Uranium and Plutonium Oxide Fuel. United States.
Delashmitt, Jeffrey, Keever, Tamara, Smith, Rob R, Hexel, Cole R, and Ilgner, Ralph H. 2010. "Detailed Destructive Post-Irradiation Examinations of Mixed Uranium and Plutonium Oxide Fuel". United States.
@article{osti_1009918,
title = {Detailed Destructive Post-Irradiation Examinations of Mixed Uranium and Plutonium Oxide Fuel},
author = {Delashmitt, Jeffrey and Keever, Tamara and Smith, Rob R and Hexel, Cole R and Ilgner, Ralph H},
abstractNote = {The United States Department of Energy (DOE) Fissile Materials Disposition Program (FMDP) is pursuing disposal of surplus weapons-usable plutonium by reactor irradiation as the fissile constituent of MOX fuel. Lead test assemblies (LTAs) have been irradiated for approximately 36 months in Duke Energy's Catawba-1 nuclear power plant (NPP). Per the mixed oxide (MOX) fuel topical report, approved by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), destructive post-irradiation examinations (PIEs) are to be performed on second cycle rods (irradiated to an average burnup of approximately 45 GWd/MTHM). The Radiochemical Analysis Group (RAG) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is currently performing the detailed destructive post-irradiation examinations (PIE) on four of the mixed uranium and plutonium oxide fuel rods. The analytical process involves dissolution of designated fuel segments in a shielded hot cell for high precision quantification of select fission products and actinide isotopes employing isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) among other analyses. The hot cell dissolution protocol to include the collection and subsequent alkaline fusion digestion of the fuel's acid resistant metallic particulates will be presented. Although the IDMS measurements of the fission products and actinide isotopes will not be completed by the time of the 51st INMM meeting, the setup and testing of the HPLC chromatographic separations in preparation for these measurements will be discussed.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1009918}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2010},
month = {Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2010}
}

Conference:
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