Control of the enrichment of EL3 cartridges (first set)

The author reports the enrichment control performed on a machined and sheathed cartridge, at the end of its fabrication. The main objective of this measurement is to avoid any confusion in cartridge numbering. The enrichment is rather precisely measured and the measurement requires five minutes. About 500 cartridges have been controlled and results are thus statistically analysed. In a first part are presented results related to the control of cartridges of uranium with molybdenum content of 1.48 per cent (variation of cartridge weight, of fuel material composition or of enrichment, of the average flow in the rod). The second part reports the control of various uranium alloys (with more than 1.5 per cent of molybdenum content, and alloys containing niobium and zirconium)