Determination of Coating Contamination in Coated Fuel Particles

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Abstract
Uranium contamination in the coating layers of coated fuel particles will adversely affect the operation of high-temperature gas cooled reactors. It is thus of great importance to reduce such contamination introduced in the course of manufacture of the particles, and to this end the need is felt for the establishment of an effective method of determining such contamination. In an attempt to answer this need, a comparative experimental study was undertaken on the alternative techniques of (a) isotope dilution mass spectrometry, (b) fluorometry, (c) α-counting and (d) mica foil method. The fission recoil range in the high density pyrolytic carbon, necessary for the determination by the mica foil method, was estimated experimentally. From the results, it is concluded that α-counting and mica foil methods should mutually complement the shortcomings possessed by each method in determining the contamination of coated fuel particles by kernel material.

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