Enhanced Material Accountability Through Use of Centrifugal Contactors at the Y- 12 National Security Complex

For nuclear energy to gain wider public support it will be imperative to ensure that steps are taken to enhance safeguards and more accurate inventory determinations to ensure detection of material diversion for development of nuclear weapons and/or radiological dispersion devices. In many cases, equipment used to increase the efficiency for the chemical processes in the nuclear fuel cycle can also lead to improved safeguards. Centrifugal contactors offer many accountability advantages over the industry standard pulse columns in addition to production advantages for recovery and purification of uranium. The advantages include potential for system draining between campaigns, rapid startup/shut down, small holdup of accountable materials, and more predictable concentration profiles. This paper will discuss improvements in material accountability realized when pulse columns were replaced with centrifugal contactors in certain areas of the Y-12 National Security Complex.