JRC Standards released for Nuclear Safeguards

The JRC authored the revision of the international standard test method ASTM C1832-21, which is based on an analytical approach developed and improved at the JRC.

Standardised test methods are important to compare results achieved in laboratories worldwide. ASTM International (American Society for Testing and Materials) is one of the global providers of voluntary consensus standards, including standards in the area of nuclear measurements.

An expert from the JRC-unit for “Standards for Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguards” in Geel/Belgium revised the document standard entitled "Determination of uranium isotopic composition by the modified total evaporation (MTE) method using a thermal ionization mass spectrometer", which was authored by the same scientist and originally released in 2016. The method allows for the determination of uranium isotope abundances with improved precision and accuracy. The revised standard ASTM C1832-21 is applicable in the nuclear industry, as well as nuclear safeguards and security worldwide.

The document ASTM C1832-21 can be obtained from the ASTM website.

Contribution

Furthermore, JRC-Geel in Belgium contributed to the new standard practise ASTM C1913-21 for the so-called Single-Use Destructive Assay (SUDA) sampler for Uranium Hexafluoride (UF6) gas.

This sampling method has been developed at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL, USA) and is based on the adsorption of UF6 gas on a zeolite nanocrystalline wafer. It is similar to the so-called “Cristallini Method”, which works by adsorption of UF6 gas on alumina pellets and has already been standardized by ASTM under C1880-19. Both sampling methods are designed for the collection of UF6 samples at inspected nuclear sites and factories, for the transport of samples to analytical laboratories with smaller amounts and in a safer and less expensive manner.

The document ASTM C1913-21 can be obtained from the ASTM website.

The work at JRC-Geel on standardisation in the nuclear mass spectrometry field is being continued, in order to include all relevant methods to enhance the worldwide use of standardised methods for nuclear mass spectrometry measurements, such as ASTM C1672-17, ASTM C1871-18, ASTM C1880-19 which were already released within the last few years. This will improve their quality for the benefit of the nuclear industry, nuclear safeguards and security.

Related Content

JRC contribution to international standardization of methods for nuclear safety and safeguards

Release of the new Standard ASTM C1871 – 18 based on a method developed by the JRC

Newly revised standard: ASTM C1672-17 - based on JRC methodology