Uranium hexafluoride gas (UF6(g)) is the primary source of uranium enrichment for the production of light water nuclear reactor fuels worldwide, thus making it a critical material for safeguards measurements. As safeguards programs seek to verify declared uranium enrichment at facilities worldwide for nonproliferation purposes, accurate and rapid quantification of uranium isotopic composition in nuclear materials is required. One emerging technique for isotopic measurements in uranium species is Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). The chemical and physical properties of UF6 present unique challenges for safe and effective application of LIBS and require specific handling and chemical compatibility procedures to achieve uranium enrichment measurements. While best practices for UF6 handling in a laboratory or industrial setting are well-established in the literature, no design or practices for a field-portable UF6 handling and measurement system with specific applicability to LIBS have been reported. The cell must meet the various chemical and physical challenges posed by UF6 handling, must be compatible with the low-energy laser and resultant plasma, and must retain a portable size to be relevant for the desired uranium enrichment monitoring needed for nuclear safeguards applications. This work presents the design of a cell for field-portable isotopic analysis of UF6 using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and initial testing of the cell for basic performance, chemical compatibility, and potential sample carryover between measurements.

Design of field-portable UF6(g) enrichment monitor

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.