Decoupling of Uranium Metal with Borated Plaster Using sup 252 Cf Nose Analysis Methods

摘要

The use of borated plaster to isolate uranium (93.2 wt % exp 235 U) metal was studied in a series of subcritical experiments with uranium metal cylinders (7.0 in. diam, 2.0 in. thick) and slabs (approx.1.4 x approx.5.4 x approx.10.1 in. dimensions). In the cylindrical experiments, the thickness of borated plaster was varied up to 10 in. and the subcriticality measured using the sup 252 Cf-source-driven neutron noise analysis method. In the experiments with the uranium slabs, an array of slabs 3 wide and 8 high was assembled in steps to demonstrate the subcriticality of this array with 3.75-in.-thick borated plaster as an isolating material between all uranium slabs. In the slab experiments, both noise analysis and source neutron multiplication measurements were performed. Before assembly of the slab array the presence of boron in the plaster was verified by neutron transmission and gamma-ray spectrometry measurements. (ERA citation 11:007668)