Year
2012
Abstract
This paper describes the calibration process of a commercial Hybrid K-Edge/XRF Densitometry (HKED) system for the quantification of MOX product solution samples where the U-Pu ratio is of the order 1:1. It provides some details about the Multi-Elemental K-Edge Densitometry (MEKED) algorithms, which are utilized by the new analysis option that was added to the Canberra HKED software for MOX solutions. The paper also presents the successful calibration validation results that were obtained based on real measurements of MOX solutions. The HKED inspection system is a powerful tool that is widely used in international safeguards for special nuclear materials. Many such systems were deployed at various facilities around the world, and most of them today are utilizing the Canberra VMS-based data acquisition and analysis software to perform the measurements. This software, originally developed at the Institute for Transuranium Elements (ITU), proved to provide very accurate and precise results for uranium and plutonium concentrations in dissolver solutions. However, with increasing concerns for the obsolescence of the VMS platform, a new Windows-based version of this sophisticated HKED software has recently been developed. Besides significant improvements in user friendliness and interface, this new software incorporates a number of new physics analyses capabilities that are not available in the VMS-based version. One of the important advancements of the new software is its ability to perform MEKED analysis. This analysis method has the capability to be applied to the simultaneous calculation of interfering concentrations for up to six major actinides (U, Pu, Am, Np, Th and Cm) in a sample solution. To date it has been implemented and successfully tested for U and Pu in MOX solution. The new Canberra MEKED analysis option will play an important role in safeguarding complex mixture materials, including MOX, which is something that is not available with the current VMS-based version of the software.