RE: Pu in DU?

["Fleming, Kenneth" <KENNETH.N.FLEMING@cpmx.saic.com>]

While at the Fernald site in the mid 80s there was a campaign to process
waste material that was "Plutonium Out Of Specification" (POOS).  The level
of uranium in the material was extremely low, but the plutonium that was
present existed at a concentration above the acceptance range for waste.
I'm not sure of the final outcome of the material since processing was
halted due to a spill and I soon left the site.

As a side issue, the Nuclear Materials Control group at the Naval Fuel
Fabrication Plant tracked the concentration of TRU in the high enriched feed
materials that were accepted at the site.  This material was utilized to
fabricate naval fuel/reactors.  It was clear from the plots that the amount
of TRU was increasing in the feed fuel.  When the spent naval fuel is
reprocessed and then re-enriched, the heavier isotopes would be expected to
stay back with the U-238.  Maybe someone that knows PUREX better than I
could shed light on whether Pu and U would be separated during reprocessing.
It was my understanding that they stayed together during reprocessing.


Kenny Fleming CHP CSP
Senior Health Physicist
(423) 481-4702
(423) 481-4757 (Fax)
(888) 892-9712 (Pager)
kenneth.n.fleming@cpmx.saic.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Dave Abbott [mailto:abbott@washops.llnl.gov]
Sent: Thursday, May 20, 1999 1:45 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: Re: Pu in DU?


Back in the 80's we looked for it and couldn't find any.  The gaseous
diffusion plants think they have some Np-237, but since the alpha energy is
the same as U-234, the analytical results may be suspect unless thoroughly
confident of a good radiochemical separation.  They also had some Tc-99,
which zipped right out the top end and thus wouldn't be in the tails.


>Does anyone analyse DU for Pu (and other actinides/ fission products come
>to that)?
>
>
>Keith Bradshaw
>
>Southampton University UK
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David Abbott
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
abbott@washops.llnl.gov
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