ALPHA-SPECTROMETRY METHOD FOR EVALUATING UB FRACTION IN URANIUM (ALTERNATIVES) Russian patent published in 2007 - IPC G01N23/00 G01T1/36 

FIELD: measuring and recording ionizing radiations in nuclear power engineering.

SUBSTANCE: proposed alpha-spectrometry method for evaluating ²³²U fraction in uranium includes preparation of nitric acid solution of uranium compound being analyzed, preparation of countable sample by way of electrolytic precipitation of uranium onto corrosion-resistant steel backing, alpha-spectrometer calibration with respect to energy of alpha-particles being recorded, measurement of alpha-radiation spectrum of countable sample obtained, calculation of ²³²U, ²³⁴U, ²³⁸U, and ²²⁸Th alpha-radiation peak areas in preset energy intervals, and calculation of ²³²U mass fraction. In the process contribution of ²²⁸Th alpha-radiation pulses with energy of 5.34 MeV in peak of ²³²U alpha-radiation with energy of 5.32 MeV is made using factor predetermined for given measurement conditions; ²³²U mass fraction is evaluated using method of relative correlation between peak areas of ²³²U and ²³⁸U alpha-radiation. Second and third alternatives of proposed method provide for including contribution of superposition pulses by one of two ways depending on presence or absence of ²²⁸Th in sample being analyzed.

EFFECT: enhanced measurement accuracy and speed.

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