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Characterization of Uranium Particles Produced by Hydrolysis of UF6 Using SEM and SIMS

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 May 2007

Ruth Kips ,
Ann Leenaers ,
Gabriele Tamborini ,
Maria Betti ,
Sven Van den Berghe ,
Roger Wellum  and
Philip Taylor
Ruth Kips
Affiliation:
European Commission, General Directorate Joint Research Centre, Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements, Retieseweg 111, 2440 Geel, Belgium University of Antwerp, Department of Chemistry, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Antwerpen, Belgium
Ann Leenaers
Affiliation:
Studie Centrum voor Kernenergie[bull ]Centre d'Etude de l'énergie Nucléaire (SCK[bull ]CEN), Nuclear Materials Science Institute, Laboratory for High and Medium Activity, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
Gabriele Tamborini
Affiliation:
European Commission, General Directorate Joint Research Centre, Institute for Transuranium Elements, P.O. Box 2340, 76125 Karlsruhe, Germany
Maria Betti
Affiliation:
European Commission, General Directorate Joint Research Centre, Institute for Transuranium Elements, P.O. Box 2340, 76125 Karlsruhe, Germany
Sven Van den Berghe
Affiliation:
Studie Centrum voor Kernenergie[bull ]Centre d'Etude de l'énergie Nucléaire (SCK[bull ]CEN), Nuclear Materials Science Institute, Laboratory for High and Medium Activity, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
Roger Wellum
Affiliation:
European Commission, General Directorate Joint Research Centre, Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements, Retieseweg 111, 2440 Geel, Belgium
Philip Taylor
Affiliation:
European Commission, General Directorate Joint Research Centre, Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements, Retieseweg 111, 2440 Geel, Belgium
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Abstract

Environmental sampling (ES) is a powerful technique used by safeguards inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the European Safeguards Office for the detection of undeclared nuclear activities. Since its implementation in the 1990s, ES has proven to be very sensitive and effective. Considering the consequences, the measurements should be carried out under a quality management programme. At the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements, a new production method is under development for the preparation of reference uranium particles from well-certified UF6, allowing uranium particles with certified isotopic abundances to be prepared that are representative of those found in uranium enrichment facilities. Using an aerosol deposition chamber designed and built for the purpose, particles are formed by the hydrolysis of UF6 and their morphology and (isotopic) composition measured using SEM-EDX and SIMS. The SEM measurements show that by varying the relative humidity of the air in the reaction chamber, the morphology of the particles can be changed. By making a distribution map of the chemical composition of the particles, the relationship between fluorine and uranium as main constituents of the particle could be established. The presence of fluorine is a valuable indicator for the occurrence of nondeclared enrichment activities.

Keywords

uranium particlesuranium hexafluoridenuclear safeguardsscanning electron microscopysecondary ion mass spectrometry
Type
SPECIAL SECTION: MICROANALYSIS OF MATERIALS TODAY
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 13 , Issue 3 , June 2007 , pp. 156 - 164
Copyright
© 2007 Microscopy Society of America

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