Field Measurement of AM(241) and Total Uranium at a Mixed Oxide Fuel Facility with Variable Uranium Enrichments Ranging from 0.3% to 97%U(235)

摘要

The uranium and transuranic content of site soils and building rubble can be accurately measured using a NaI(Tl) well counter, without significant soil preparation. Accurate measurements of total uranium in uranium-transuranic mixtures can be made, despite a wide range (0.3% to 97%) of uranium enrichment, sample mass, and activity concentrations. The appropriate uranium scaling factors needed to include the undetected uranium isotopes, particularly U 234 can be readily determined on a sample by sample basis as a part of the field analysis, by comparing the relative response of the U 235 186 keV peak versus the K shell X rays of U 238 , U 235, and their immediate ingrowth daughters.