Year
1994
Abstract
The transition of DOE facilities from production to decontamination and decommissing has lead to more measurements of product, waste, scrap, and other less attractive materials. Some of these materials are difficult to analyze by either neutron coincidence assay or calorimetric assay. To determine the most efficacious analysis method, a variety of materials, including impure salts and hydrofluorination residues, have been assayed by both calorimetric assay and neutron coincidence assay. New data will be presented together with a review of published data. The precision and accuracy of these measurements are compared to chemistry values. The contribution of the gamma ray isotopic determination measurement to the overall error of the calorimetric assay or neutron assay is examined and discussed. Other factors affecting selection of the most appropriate nondestructive assay method are listed and considered.