URENCO’s Position on Standardising the Identification of UF6 Cylinders

In 2009, URENCO presented a paper at the ESARDA and INMM conferences which highlighted the need for a world-wide standard for identification of UF6 cylinders. This would involve the development and implementation of: a unique identification (ID) numbering system; a method of affixing the ID number to a cylinder: and a technology for reading the ID number. Last year, URENCO implemented a unique identification (ID) numbering system at all four of its enrichment plants. At the PATRAM conference In October 2010, URENCO proposed that the nuclear industry should adopt this standard. It was agreed that URENCO should bring forward a proposal for adoption by the ANSI N14.1 standards committee, in due course. In March 2011, URENCO participated in a workshop organised by NNSA and held at Sandia National Lab on UF6 cylinder identification. This paper gives URENCO’s current stance on the topic of standardising the ID of UF6 cylinders.