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Experimental Report |
Experiment title Non-destructive determination of 235U/238U isotope ratio by PGAA |
Proposal No. Local contact Zsolt Révay |
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Principal proposer: G. L. Molnár, Institute of Isotope and Surface Chemistry, CRC Budapest Experimental team: Zs. Révay, T. Belgya, G. L. Molnár Institute of Isotope and Surface Chemistry CRC Budapest, H-1525 |
Date(s) of Exp. 1998 Date of Report 20-Dec-99 |
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Objectives
To develop a non-destructive method to determine the isotopic enrichment of uranium.
Results
A non-destructive method has been developed to determine the 235U/238U ratio in materials
containing uranium as a major element. Three uranium-oxide (U3O8) samples have been
irradiated: one of them had natural isotopic composition, and two were enriched to 19.1% and
36% 235U content, respectively. Intensities of prompt-gamma lines from 235U(n,γ ) reaction
and from some fission products have been compared to the intensity of a high energy line
from the 238U (n,γ ) reaction, and a linear correlation has been found. Hence, PGAA is suitable
for rapid and non-destructive determination of the enrichment of uranium samples.
References
Future prospects
Zsolt Révay, Gábor Molnár, Tamás Belgya, Öszi Radiokémiai Napok, Paks, 1998, talk
A detailed examination of 235U prompt gamma-ray spectrum and γ - γ coincidences are planned.
