Year
2012
Abstract
The objective of this work was to perform a set of inter-laboratory comparative tests (ICT) at facilities within the Rosatom complex and to assess their results using specially selected coded control samples (CS) of nuclear materials. Two uranium control samples were used in the exercise: uranium dioxide (UO2) for measuring uranium isotopic composition and uranium protoxide-oxide (U3O8) for measuring uranium mass fraction. Twenty three laboratories at twelve enterprises of the State Corporation Rosatom took part in the measurement program. If an enterprise provided several independent measuring results obtained in different laboratories, or at different sites in a single laboratory, or by different methods in the same laboratory, or using different devices, then it is considered that every independent result is obtained in a separate lab and an individual code was assigned to the result. The first round of ICT provided information on the quality of measurements of uranium mass fraction and uranium isotopics. In a number of the laboratories problems concerned with measurement quality were observed. It is needed to continue the work in order to determine the causes of the negative results and to develop corrective measures. In some cases, comparison of error characteristics values stated by the laboratories with the ones actually obtained ones in the course of measurements revealed the necessity of re-attestation of the measuring techniques used. The first ICT round showed its effectiveness for the purpose of revealing quality problems of measurements in the laboratories. In order to maintain the required quality of measurements, the ICT should be conducted on regular basis.