Year
2010
Abstract
The New Brunswick Laboratory (NBL) was founded in 1949 by the U.S. Atomic Energy commission to assist in the development of uranium (and in 1959 plutonium) analytical measurement methods. Over the years, the laboratory developed expertise and analytical methods relating to many aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle and weapons materials. The National Bureau of Standards (currently named the National Institute for Standards and Technology, or NIST) served then and now DV??WKH??QDWLRQ¶V??VRXUFH??IRU??6WDQGDUG??5HIHUHQFH??0DWHULDOV????650V????DQG??LV??WKH??FHUWLI\\LQJ?? authority and the national metrology institute for the United States. BHJLQQLQJ??LQ??WKH??HDUO\\??????????¶V???? the need for a primary uranium reference material became apparent. NBS, NBL and various AEC laboratories collaborated on identifying desired reference materials properties, procuring base materials, developing the necessary chemical and handling techniques, studying chemical forms for suitability and storage as reference materials, and certifying the chemical and physical properties of the produced SRMs. The first uranium standard reference material was a U3O8 material. In 1959, the Advisory Committee for Standard Reference Materials and Measurements decided that due to stoichiometry problems with uranium oxides, a pure uranium metal standard was needed. A cropped dingot was purchased from Mallinckrodt Chemical Works and sent to NBL to hold for future use since the company was stopping preparation of pure dingot uranium metal and switching to a process that would yield lower-SXULW\\??PHWDO????????'XULQJ??WKH??HDUO\\??????????¶V??WKH??PDWHULDO??ZDV?? SURFHVVHG????DQG??LQ??WKH??ODWH??????????¶V and early ????????¶V certification measurements were performed. This report details the production and processing of the material, the measurements performed over the years prior to and during the original certification, and current plans for the material.