Present status of chemical analysis of uranyl nitrate solution used for the criticality experiments in NUCEF

Haga, Takahisa*; Gunji, Kazuhiko; Fukaya, Hiroyuki; Sonoda, Takashi; Sakazume, Yoshinori; Sakai, Yutaka; Niitsuma, Yasushi; Togashi, Yoshihiro ; Miyauchi, Masakatsu; Sato, Takeshi; Inoue, Takeshi; Shirahashi, Koichi 

Criticality experiments using uranyl nitrate solution fuel are being conducted at STACY (the Static Experiment Critical Facility) and TRACY (the Transient Experiment Critical Facility) in NUCEF (the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Safety Engineering Research Facility). Chemical analyses of the solution have been carried out to take necessary data for criticality experiments, for treatment and control of the fuel, and for safeguards purpose at the analytical laboratory placed in NUCEF. About 300 samples are analyzed annually that provide various kinds of data, such as uranium concentration, isolation acid concentration, uranium isotopic composition, concentration of fission product (FP) nuclides, tri-butyl phosphoric acid (TBP) concentration, impurities in the solution fuel and so on. This report summarizes the analytical methods and quality management of the analysis for uranyl nitrate solution relating to the criticality experiments.