Non-destructive measurement of the plutonium content of high-active liquid waste

To verify that all Pu in a reprocessing plant is accounted for, IAEA inspectors need a method for measuring Pu in high-active liquid waste (HALW) remaining after reprocessing of spent fuel. Some of the Pu in HALW is attached to undissolved residues. However, constraints at the IAEA on-site laboratory do not allow use of common destructive methods to measure Pu in the residues. The non-destructive method presented here is based on X-ray fluorescence (XRF) measurement combined with stirring the particles. Tests with known amounts of Uranium in simulated HALW were done using a miniature stirrer installed into a modified sample changer. During these tests the hardware parameters have been optimized. Furthermore, it was shown that the XRF peaks of undissolved residues can be seen by stirring the synthetic HALW. The optimal stirrer speed has been determined and the shielding effect of the particles has been quantified. Hot tests with real HALW are planned to be done in the EURATOM on-site lab in La Hague, France, in co-operation with the French support programme. The planned implementation of the method at the IAEA laboratory will enable the verification of the total Pu content of HALW.

ZSIGRAI Jozsef;  LE TERRIER Arnaud;  CASTELEYN Karin;  DUHAMEL Georges;  MADDISON Andrew;  DECAILLON Jean-Gary;  BOSKO Andey; 

2015-08-05

Publications Office of the European Union

JRC94277

978-92-79-49495-6,   

1831-9424 (online),   

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC94277,   

10.2789/099293,