ADSORPTIVE FILMS IN SUPPORT OF IN - FIELD UF 6 DESTRUCTIVE ASSAY SAMPLE COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

nternational Atom Energy Agency (IAEA) s afeguard verification measures in gaseous centrifuge enrichment plants (GCEPs) rely on environmental sampling , non - destructive assay (NDA), and destructive assay (DA) sampling and analysis to determine uranium enrichment. UF 6 bias defect measurements are made by DA sampling and analysis to assure that enrichment is consistent with declarations. DA samples are col lected from a limited number of cylinders for high precision, offsite mass spectrometer analysis. Samples are typically drawn from a sampling tap into a UF 6 sample bottle, then packaged, sealed, and shipped under IAEA chain of custody to an offsite analyti cal laboratory. Future DA safeguard measures may require improvements in efficiency and effectiveness as GCEP capacities increase and UF 6 shipping regulations become increasingly more restrictive. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) DA sampler concept and Laser Ablation Absorption Ratio Spectrometry (LAARS) assay method are under development to potential ly provide DA safeguard tool s that increase inspection effectiveness and reduce sample shipping constraints . The PNNL DA sampl er concept uses a handheld sampler to collect DA samples for either onsite LAARS assay or offsite laboratory analysis. The DA sampler design will use a small sampling planchet that is coated with an adsorptive film to collect controlled quantities of UF 6 gas directl y from a cylinder or process sampling tap. Development efforts are currently underway at PNNL to enhance LAARS assay performance to allow high - precision onsite bias defect measurements. In this paper, we report on the experimental investigation to develop adsorptive films for the PNNL DA sampl er concept. These films are intended to efficiently capture UF 6 and then stabilize the collected DA sample prior to onsite LAARS or offsite laboratory analysis. Several po rous material composite films were investigated , including a film designed to maximize the chemical adsorption and binding of gaseous UF 6 onto the sampling planchet.