Compositional characterization of uranium-thorium oxide of AHWR fuel composition by EDXRF and TXRF at Fuel Chemistry Division, BARC

X-ray Secondary Emission techniques have a bright potential for compositional characterization of nuclear fuels in non-destructive and non consumptive way. Constant improvements in the instrumentation and sample preparation methodology have improved the detection limits, precision and accuracy of these techniques to different extent. Since U and Pu content in AHWR fuel is comparatively low and it has radiation dose, special sample preparation and instrumentation is required for its determination by X-ray emission spectrometric methods. At Fuel Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) and Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence (TXRF) spectrometry have been used for such application using different methods of sample preparation to achieve better precision and accuracy with minimum amount of sample so that the radioactive waste generated and radiation risk to the analyst is minimum. In the present paper a brief description of the progress made for compositional characterization of uranium-thorium oxide samples of AHWR fuel composition using these techniques have been made. (author)