Large volume calorimetry : a technique to quantify tritium

Non intrusive and non destructive determination of tritium in large volume samples has been achieved for many years by calorimetry at CEA Valduc. This technique, based on the measurement of heat emitted by tritium and tritiated materials is independent of the matrix, independent of the homogeneity and can quantify tritium in liquids, solids and gases. However, the need to measure lower amounts of tritium leaded CEA to invest in new apparatus. CEA collaborated with Setaram Instrumentations in order to develop and manufacture two high sensitive (in ten nW/ml range) and accurate calorimeters admitting samples of 60 and 90 liters. The apparatus will be described as well as the analytical performances (reproducibility, acquisition time, calibration lines, limits of detection) obtained with these calorimeters integrated in glove boxes.