Book Description

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) Fissile Materials Disposition Program (FMDP) is pursuing disposal of surplus weapons-usable plutonium by reactor irradiation as the fissile constituent of MOX fuel. Lead test assemblies (LTAs) have been irradiated for approximately 36 months in Duke Energy's Catawba-1 nuclear power plant (NPP). Per the mixed oxide (MOX) fuel topical report, approved by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), destructive post-irradiation examinations (PIEs) are to be performed on second cycle rods (irradiated to an average burnup of approximately 45 GWd/MTHM). The Radiochemical Analysis Group (RAG) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is currently performing the detailed destructive post-irradiation examinations (PIE) on four of the mixed uranium and plutonium oxide fuel rods. The analytical process involves dissolution of designated fuel segments in a shielded hot cell for high precision quantification of select fission products and actinide isotopes employing isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) among other analyses. The hot cell dissolution protocol to include the collection and subsequent alkaline fusion digestion of the fuel's acid resistant metallic particulates will be presented. Although the IDMS measurements of the fission products and actinide isotopes will not be completed by the time of the 51st INMM meeting, the setup and testing of the HPLC chromatographic separations in preparation for these measurements will be discussed.