Dismantling and decommissioning: The interest of passive neutron measurement to control and characterise radioactive wastes containing uranium

作者：Jallu F^*; Reneleau A; Soyer P; Loridon J

来源：Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms , 2012, 271: 48-54.

DOI：10.1016/j.nimb.2011.09.018

• Waste
• Passive measurement
• Neutron
• NDA
• Uranium
• Dismantling

This paper deals with the evacuation of the wastes resulting from the dismantling of an U-235 enrichment facility. Gamma-ray spectrometry is usually used to quantify the U-235 residual mass and the activity of those wastes. In the present case, the waste internal content made of aluminium prevents gamma-rays from reaching the detector. We show here how neutron passive measurement has been used as an alternative to gamma-ray spectrometry. The controlled objects are about 1000 compressors of masses up to 2000 kg employed in a gaseous diffusion enrichment process. A dedicated neutron-based setup has been designed using Monte Carlo modelling, and a Detection Limit Mass (DLM) of about 4-6 g of U-235 is reached. For one of the compressors, the U-235 measured mass has been compared to the same mass determined by destructive methods. The comparison shows a very good agreement.

• 出版日期2012-1-15
• 单位中国地震局