A comparative study for 235U radioactivity concentration calculation methods in phosphate samples

Abstract

In this study, a comparison is made between the selection of the most proper and accurate methods for 235U activity determination according to the available conditions with the smallest error possible. The detection of 235U activity is used to determine the mass of the 235U in the samples and consecutively, the uranium enrichment which is important for the nuclear safeguards' needs and the monitoring of the radionuclides in the environment. Various methods have been studied to distinguish between counting rate contributions from both235U and 226Ra to the 186 keV energy region in samples of uranium in natural form.

Keywords

• 235U activity
• activity ratios
• gamma-ray spectrometry
• phosphate samples