Nuclear forensic analysis of uranium oxide powders interdicted in Victoria, Australia
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Michael Joseph Kristo
,
Elizabeth Keegan
Abstract
Nuclear forensic analysis was conducted on two uranium samples confiscated during a police investigation in Victoria, Australia. The first sample, designated NSR-F-270409-1, was a depleted uranium powder of moderate purity (∼ 1000 μg/g total elemental impurities). The chemical form of the uranium was a compound similar to K2(UO2)3O4 · 4H2O. While aliquoting NSR-F-270409-1 for analysis, the body and head of a Tineid moth was discovered in the sample. The second sample, designated NSR-F-270409-2, was also a depleted uranium powder. It was of reasonably high purity (∼ 380 μg/g total elemental impurities). The chemical form of the uranium was primarily UO3 · 2H2O, with minor phases of U3O8 and UO2. While aliquoting NSR-F-270409-2 for analysis, a metal staple of unknown origin was discovered in the sample. The presence of 236U and 232U in both samples indicates that the uranium feed stocks for these samples experienced a neutron flux at some point in their history. The reactor burn-up calculated from the isotopic composition of the uranium is consistent with that of spent fuel from natural uranium (NU) fueled Pu production. These nuclear forensic conclusions allow us to categorically exclude Australia as the origin of the material and greatly reduce the number of candidate sources.
Acknowledgement
The authors would like to thank Tegan Evans, Joel Davis, Daniel Brew, Gordon Thorogood, Dale Prokopovich, David Child and Mark Reinhard from ANSTO and Cynthia Conrado, Victoria Genetti, Patrick Grant, Roger Henderson, Michael Sharp, Paul Spackman, Audrey Williams, and Paul Wooddy for valuable help with the analysis of these samples.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory performed this work under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. Funding for this work was provided by the Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration Office of Nuclear Controls (NA-242) and utilized capabilities developed with funding from Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration Office of Nuclear Noncompliance Verification (NA-243).
©2015 Walter de Gruyter Berlin/Boston
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Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Removal of americium from effluent generated during the purification of plutonium by anion exchange
- Uranyl tris-(carbohydrazide) nitrate [UO2((N2H3)2CO)3](NO3)2: synthesis, structure and properties
- Nuclear forensic analysis of uranium oxide powders interdicted in Victoria, Australia
- Transport of radioselenium oxyanions by diffusion in unsaturated soils
- Development of an automated batch-type solid-liquid extraction apparatus and extraction of Zr, Hf, and Th by triisooctylamine from HCl solutions for chemistry of element 104, Rf
- Preparation, purification and primary bioevaluation of radioiodinated ofloxacin: an imaging agent
- Comparison of two semi-absolute methods: k0-instrumental neutron activation analysis and fundamental parameter method X-ray fluorescence spectrometry for Ni-based alloys
