Critical mass experiment using 235U foil-SiO2-polyethylene plates

Fissile material in waste is frequently encountered in decontamination and decommissioning activities. Thousands of drums containing radioactive waste are stored in storage facilities throughout the US Department of Energy (DOE) complex. The amount of fissile material in each drum is generally small because of the criticality safety limits that have been calculated using neutron transport computer codes such as MCNP, KENO, or ONEDANT. No experimental critical data are available to ensure the correctness of the calculations for those systems containing fissile material (235U, 233U, and 239Pu) in contact with matrix material (Al2O3, CaO, MgO, and SiO2) in the drums. The purpose of the 235U foil-SiO2-polyethylene experiment is to provide experimental data to validate the computer transport codes and the cross-section data