Development of automated analytical system for mixed oxide sample by X-ray and gamma-ray spectrometric method

An automated analytical system for mixed oxide sample has been developed to increase analytical capability as well as to improve timeliness of measurement at the conversion and the mixed oxide fuel fabrication plants. The analytical system ca be divided into a sample preparation system, an x-ray fluorescence and a gamma-ray spectrometer, and a computer system for operation control and data processing. The sample preparation system consists of two revolute robots and various kinds of component devices such as a sample and a crucible storage, a sampling device with a balance, an electric furnace and so on. In this system 0.3 g of sample and 7 g of anhydrous sodium tetraborate are taken and fused in a platinum crucible at 1100 deg C for ten minutes to prepare a glass bead disk. Concentrations of uranium and plutonium are determined by measuring intensity of L series x-ray line of each element. Isotope composition of plutonium in the sample is also determined by passive gamma-ray spectrometry without sample pre-treatment