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Analysis of mixture samples of uranium dioxide and boron compounds by using thermal neutron prompt gamma activation analysis

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Abstract

The internal mono-standard relative method has been used for compositional analysis of prompt gamma activation analysis (PGAA). PGAA is very useful for the analysis of boron elements in various sample matrices, especially in the uranium samples, which attenuates neutron intensity significantly. The concentration ratio of boron is determined relative to the uranium as internal mono-standard. The concentration of uranium is well traceable when the sample was fabricated and also measured by a relative method using certified reference material. The uranium dioxide powder samples were prepared by crushing the fuel pellets and then mixed with the adjuvant compounds to improve the combustion characteristics of the nuclear fuel. The first adjuvant compound is boron compound like boron nitride and hafnium diboride. The second adjuvant is manganese oxide, which is considered to enhance the thermal stability of the boron compounds. The elemental concentrations of the samples were measured by a thermal neutron PGAA facility at the HANARO research reactor and analyzed using a KAERI-PGAA code including a Doppler-broadened boron peak analysis (DBPA) routine for boron analysis.

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Acknowledgements

We really appreciate Uranium dioxide samples were supplied by Dr. Rhee Young Woo, KAERI. This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) and grant funded by the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) [NRF-2017M2A2A6A05018529 and Grant No. 521410-23, South Korea]. This study was presented at the International Conference on Nuclear Analytical Techniques in 2022 (NAT2022), which was held in Daejeon, Korea, from Dec. 7 to 9, 2022.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Radiation Safety Management Division, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, 34057, Daejeon, Republic of Korea

    M. Y. Kang

  2. HANARO Utilization Division, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, 34057, Daejeon, Republic of Korea

    J. G. Lee & B. G. Park

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  1. M. Y. Kang
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  2. J. G. Lee
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Correspondence to M. Y. Kang.

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Kang, M.Y., Lee, J.G. & Park, B.G. Analysis of mixture samples of uranium dioxide and boron compounds by using thermal neutron prompt gamma activation analysis. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 332, 5267–5272 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-023-09183-x

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