Preparation of Traceable Working Reference Material Standards for the National TRU Waste Performance Demonstration Program

摘要

Traceable nondestructive assay (NDA) standards containing a variety of radionuclides (including uranium, americium, and plutonium oxides) were fabricated and certified for use in the U.S. Department of Energy's National TRU Waste Program (NTWP). The NTWP requires traceable nuclear material standards of the Working Reference Material (WRM) class for use in the independent assessment of performance of NDA systems that assay nuclear material contained in DOE-generated waste before transport and final disposition at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico. The performance assessment, qualification, and approval process for waste assay systems is accomplished in part through successful participation in the Non-Destructive Assay (NDA) Performance Demonstration Program (PDP) and is required for DOE and EPA regulatory compliance, as well as repository permitting and performance evaluation. An overview of the PDP program highlighting the role of the certified WRMs fabricated at LANL is presented, as well as a summary of the WRM fabrication process and an overview of the inventory of 187 WRMs fabricated and deployed to DOE NDA measurement facilities to date.