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Characterisation of nuclear fuel by spectroscopic evaluation of alpha autoradiographs

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Abstract

New methods for estimation of concentration and distribution of plutonium in (Th,Pu)O2 MOX fuel samples have been attempted by spectroscopic analysis of SSNTD based alpha images using UV–Vis spectrophotometry and photoluminescence spectroscopy. (Th,Pu)O2 MOX fuel samples having a large range of PuO2 concentration, were subjected to this study and found beneficial when compared with the conventional analysis of alpha autoradiographs. UV–Vis absorbance and photoluminescence of the alpha autoradiograph showed linear decrease proportionally to PuO2% in the fuel sample. Optical band gap was found to proportionally increase with PuO2% in the fuel sample which was revealed in UV–Vis spectrophotometry.

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Acknowledgements

The authors express their sincere thanks to Dr.P.D.Naik, Associate Director, chemistry group and Shri.Vivek Bhasin, Associate Director, Nuclear fuels group for their support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Radiometallurgy Division, Bhabha Atomic Reasearch Centre, Mumbai, 400094, India

    K. V. Vrinda Devi, P. S. Somayajulu, J. N. Dubey & I. H. Shaikh

  2. Analytical Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Reasearch Centre, Mumbai, 400094, India

    Jayshree Ramkumar & S. Chandramouleeswaran

  3. Radiochemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Reasearch Centre, Mumbai, 400094, India

    Arijit Sengupta

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  1. K. V. Vrinda Devi
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  2. Jayshree Ramkumar
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  3. Arijit Sengupta
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  4. P. S. Somayajulu
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  5. J. N. Dubey
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  6. I. H. Shaikh
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  7. S. Chandramouleeswaran
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Correspondence to K. V. Vrinda Devi.

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Vrinda Devi, K.V., Ramkumar, J., Sengupta, A. et al. Characterisation of nuclear fuel by spectroscopic evaluation of alpha autoradiographs. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 314, 259–271 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-017-5361-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-017-5361-4

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