Achievement of safeguards technique at plutonium conversion development facility

Plutonium Conversion Development Facility (PCDF) is the facility where Pu-U nitrate mixed solution is co-converted to the Mixed Oxide Powder by direct microwave heating denitration process. From the view point of safeguards, this process is excellent because plutonium oxide is always mixed with uranium oxide. (There is no plutonium oxide alone.) Process capacity is 10 kg (Pu+U)/day, and the facility has been operated smoothly since April, 1983. The amount of converted MOX powder is 3,765 kg PuO2-UO2 until the end of June 1989, and the total actual inspection effort is 666 man-day (NSB) and 813 man-day (IAEA). Up to the present, high accurate level measurement system, NDA measurement system for Mixed Oxide Powder and X-ray fluorescence analysis has been developed and this system have contributed to achieve the safeguards purpose. (author)