IN-SITU ANALYTICAL METHODS FOR EARLY BIAS DEFECT VERIFICATION RESULTS

The IAEA acquired extensive experience of in-situ destructive assay (DA) of various uranium bearing materials by COMPUCEA (Combined Procedure for Uranium Concentration and Enrichment Assay). The system is an advanced mobile verification analytical tool, originally developed at the EC-JRC-ITU1 and later adopted in the IAEA’s safeguards practice. Since 2011, COMPUCEA has been routinely deployed during physical inventory verification (PIV) and design information verification (DIV) inspections at fuel fabrication and uranium conversion facilities worldwide. The system’s capabilities have recently been extended to the analysis of UF6 as a result of a joint IAEA-EC-JRC effort, supported by the provision of UF6 isotope reference materials certified by JRC-G.2 and the participation of the expert analytical team from JRC-II.6. The present paper provides details of this recent effort and also highlights potentials for future applications of the COMPUCEA at UF6 handling facilities.