The challenges of chemical metrology in the fuel cycle: the role of CETAMA - 5352

The accuracy of analysis results at each step of the nuclear fuel cycle is of prime importance for nuclear material control and forensic investigations. The IAEA specifies several target values for measurement uncertainties in monitoring nuclear materials. Some of these represent serious challenges for industrial processes. To improve and guarantee accuracy and performance, analysis laboratories rely on certified reference materials (CRM) for measurement quality control, for the calibration of analytical instrumentation, and when spiking samples for elemental assay by isotope dilution analysis. Proficiency tests such as the CETAMA EQRAIN program are tailored for laboratory performance comparisons. In the future, the nuclear fuel cycle and in particular the reprocessing industry and research-development activities will require new standards and methods to comply with high-content plutonium fuel and new extraction solvents. Some recent involvements of the CETAMA concern: -) new high chemical purity CRM development or enlarged re-certification for actinide analyses, -) enhanced certification methodology, -) feedback on performance assessment, and -) support in uncertainty assessments and analytical method standardization. (authors)