Analytical Services: Measurement of evolved gases from radioactive samples
As the UK’s largest nuclear site, Sellafield has played a central role in the history of the nuclear industry in the UK. Throughout all operational phases, Sellafield Ltd’s Analytical Services teams have provided essential support to safe operations, waste processing, and hazard/risk reduction activities.
Analytical Services operate in a 70-year-old facility using many analytical protocols, some of which were developed 30 to 40 years ago. Operations in these laboratories are currently being phased out and much of the future work will be performed in the National Nuclear Laboratory Central Lab (NNLCL). The move to the NNLCL creates a great opportunity for new and innovative technologies and techniques to be introduced into the analytical work to improve the efficiency, safety and quality of the analysis. It is vital Analytical Services assess, understand and support the development of new technologies to ensure the potential benefits of the move to updated facilities are achieved.
CHALLENGE AIMS
Sellafield Ltd wishes to adopt more accurate, efficient and effective techniques and technologies to identify impurities in solid or mixed matric radioactive samples.
Typical samples, often in powder form, include plutonium and uranium oxide, with small quantities of impurities-less than 400 μg per gram.
The evolved species to be measured and quantified where they exist in the sample include water, chlorine and other halides, carbon (as CO and CO2), tritium, carbon-14 and other species most likely to be in solid form. Any solution must be robust and maintainable and should avoid techniques that create radioactive waste. Ideally, solutions should be able to measure more than one sample in a run. The measurement technology may be deployed directly or could be placed outside containment.
FIND OUT MORE
Please download the challenge statement for full details of this opportunity. You can also watch a webinar and Q & A session with the challenge owners for more information and details of how to apply.
