Development of a non-destructive depth-selective quantification method for sub-percent carbon contents in steel using negative muon lifetime analysis

Ninomiya, Kazuhiko*; Kubo, Kenya*; Inagaki, Makoto*; Yoshida, Go*; Chiu, I.-H. ; Kudo, Takuto*; Asari, Shunsuke*; Sentoku, Sawako*; Takeshita, Soshi*; Shimomura, Koichiro*; et al.

Scientific Reports (Internet), 14, p.1797_1 - 1797_8, 2024/01

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52255-5

The amount of C in steel, which is critical in determining its properties, is strongly influenced by steel production technology. We propose a novel method of quantifying the bulk C content in steel non-destructively using muons. This revolutionary method may be used not only in the quality control of steel in production, but also in analyzing precious steel archaeological artifacts. A negatively charged muon forms an atomic system owing to its negative charge, and is finally absorbed into the nucleus or decays to an electron. The lifetimes of muons differ significantly, depending on whether they are trapped by Fe or C atoms, and identifying the elemental content at the muon stoppage position is possible via muon lifetime measurements. The relationship between the muon capture probabilities of C/Fe and the elemental content of C exhibits a good linearity, and the C content in the steel may be quantitatively determined via muon lifetime measurements. Furthermore, by controlling the incident energies of the muons, they may be stopped in each layer of a stacked sample consisting of three types of steel plates with thicknesses of 0.5 mm, and we successfully determined the C contents in the range 0.20 - 1.03 wt% depth-selectively, without sample destruction.

Background radiation monitoring using manned helicopter for application of technique of nuclear emergency response in the fiscal year 2020 (Contract research)

Futemma, Akira; Sanada, Yukihisa; Sasaki, Miyuki; Kawasaki, Yoshiharu*; Iwai, Takeyuki*; Hiraga, Shogo*; Sato, Kazuhiko*; Haginoya, Masashi*; Matsunaga, Yuki*; Kikuchi, Hikaru*; et al.

JAEA-Technology 2021-020, 138 Pages, 2021/11

JAEA-Technology-2021-020.pdf:17.11MB

A large amount of radioactive material was released by the nuclear disaster of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS), Tokyo Electric Power Company, caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake and the following tsunami on March 11, 2011. After the nuclear disaster, airborne radiation monitoring via manned helicopter has been utilized to grasp rapidly and widely the distribution of the radioactive materials surrounding FDNPS. We prepare the data of background radiation dose, geomorphic characteristics and the controlled airspace surrounding nuclear facilities of the whole country in order to make effective use of the monitoring technique as a way of emergency radiation monitoring and supply the results during an accident of a facility. This report is summarized that the knowledge as noted above achieved by the aerial radiation monitoring around Tsuruga and Mihama nuclear power station, research reactors in Kindai University Atomic Energy Research Institute and Institute for Integrated Radiation and Nuclear Science, Kyoto University. In addition, examination's progress aimed at introduction of airborne radiation monitoring via unmanned plane during nuclear disaster and the technical issues are summarized in this report.

Radiation monitoring using manned helicopter around the Nuclear Power Station in the fiscal year 2019 (Contract research)

Futemma, Akira; Sanada, Yukihisa; Ishizaki, Azusa; Kawasaki, Yoshiharu*; Iwai, Takeyuki*; Hiraga, Shogo*; Sato, Kazuhiko*; Haginoya, Masashi*; Matsunaga, Yuki*; Kikuchi, Hikaru*; et al.

JAEA-Technology 2020-018, 121 Pages, 2021/02

JAEA-Technology-2020-018.pdf:15.15MB

By the nuclear disaster of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS), Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake and the following tsunami on March 11, 2011, a large amount of radioactive material was released from the FDNPS. After the nuclear disaster, airborne radiation monitoring using manned helicopter has been conducted around FDNPS. The results in the fiscal 2019 were summarized in this report. Analysis taken topographical effects into consideration was applied to the result of airborne monitoring to improve the precision of conventional method. In addition, discrimination method of gamma rays from Rn-progenies was also utilized to evaluate their effect on aerial radiation monitoring.

Radiation monitoring using manned helicopter around the Nuclear Power Station in the fiscal year 2018 (Contract research)

Futemma, Akira; Sanada, Yukihisa; Ishizaki, Azusa; Komiya, Tomokazu; Iwai, Takeyuki*; Seguchi, Eisaku*; Matsunaga, Yuki*; Kawabata, Tomoki*; Haginoya, Masashi*; Hiraga, Shogo*; et al.

JAEA-Technology 2019-016, 116 Pages, 2019/11

JAEA-Technology-2019-016.pdf:14.09MB

By the nuclear disaster of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS), Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake and the following tsunami on March 11, 2011, a large amount of radioactive material was released from the FDNPS. After the nuclear disaster, airborne radiation monitoring using manned helicopter has been conducted around FDNPS. The results in the fiscal 2018 were summarized in this report. Discrimination method of gamma rays from Rn-progenies was also utilized to evaluate their effect on aerial radiation monitoring. In addition, analysis taken topographical effects into consideration was applied to previous results of airborne monitoring to improve the precision of conventional method.

Radiation monitoring using manned helicopter around the Nuclear Power Station in the fiscal year 2017 (Contract research)

Futemma, Akira; Sanada, Yukihisa; Ishizaki, Azusa; Iwai, Takeyuki*; Seguchi, Eisaku; Matsunaga, Yuki*; Kawabata, Tomoki; Toyoda, Masayuki*; Tobita, Shinichiro*; Hiraga, Shogo*; et al.

JAEA-Technology 2018-015, 120 Pages, 2019/02

JAEA-Technology-2018-015.pdf:15.01MB

By the nuclear disaster of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS), Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake and the following tsunami on March 11, 2011, a large amount of radioactive material was released from the NPS. After the nuclear disaster, airborne radiation monitoring using manned helicopter was conducted around FDNPS. The results in the fiscal 2017 were summarized in this report. In addition, we developed and systemized the discrimination technique of the Rn-progenies. The accuracy of aerial radiation monitoring was evaluated by taking into consideration GPS data error.

Observation of momentum-resolved charge fluctuations proximate to the charge-order phase using resonant inelastic X-ray scattering

Yoshida, Masahiro*; Ishii, Kenji; Naka, Makoto*; Ishihara, Sumio*; Jarrige, I.*; Ikeuchi, Kazuhiko*; Murakami, Yoichi*; Kudo, Kazutaka*; Koike, Yoji*; Nagata, Tomoko*; et al.

Scientific Reports (Internet), 6, p.23611_1 - 23611_8, 2016/03

https://doi.org/10.1038/srep23611

Fluorido complex formation of element 104, rutherfordium (Rf)

Ishii, Yasuo; Toyoshima, Atsushi; Tsukada, Kazuaki; Asai, Masato; Li, Z.*; Nagame, Yuichiro; Miyashita, Sunao*; Mori, Tomotaka*; Suganuma, Hideo*; Haba, Hiromitsu*; et al.

Bulletin of the Chemical Society of Japan, 84(9), p.903 - 911, 2011/09

https://doi.org/10.1246/bcsj.20110126

The cation-exchange behavior of element 104, rutherfordium (Rf), was investigated together with its lighter group-4 homologues Zr and Hf, and the tetravalent pseudo-homologue Th in HF/HNO mixed solution. The results demonstrate that distribution coefficients () of Rf in HF/0.10 M HNO decrease with increasing concentration of the fluoride ion [F], indicating the consecutive formation of fluorido complexes of Rf. We also measured the values of Rf and the homologues as a function of the hydrogen ion concentration [H]. The log values decrease linearly with an increase of log [H] with slopes between -2.1 and -2.5. This indicates that these elements are likely to form the same chemical compounds: mixture of [MF] and [MF] (M = Rf, Zr, Hf and Th) in the studied solution. It is also ascertained that sequence in the fluoride complex formation is Zr Hf Rf Th.

Extraction of chromatographic behavior of Rf, Zr, and Hf in HCl solution with styrenedivinylbenzene copolymer resin modified by TOPO (trioctylphosphine oxide)

Toyoshima, Atsushi; Kasamatsu, Yoshitaka*; Tsukada, Kazuaki; Asai, Masato; Ishii, Yasuo; Tome, Hayato*; Nishinaka, Ichiro; Sato, Tetsuya; Nagame, Yuichiro; Schdel, M.; et al.

Journal of Nuclear and Radiochemical Sciences, 11(1), p.7 - 11, 2010/06

https://doi.org/10.14494/jnrs.11.7

The extraction behavior of rutherfordium (Rf) into trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) from 2.0 - 7.0 M HCl solution was studied together with that of the homologues Zr and Hf. The extracted yields of Rf, Zr, and Hf increased with an increase of HCl concentration, and the sequence of their extraction was Zr Hf Rf. It is suggested that the stability of the RfCl2(TOPO) complex is lower than that of the corresponding species of the homologues.

Adsorption of Db and its homologues Nb and Ta, and the pseudo-homologue Pa on anion-exchange resin in HF solution

Tsukada, Kazuaki; Haba, Hiromitsu*; Asai, Masato; Toyoshima, Atsushi; Akiyama, Kazuhiko*; Kasamatsu, Yoshitaka; Nishinaka, Ichiro; Ichikawa, Shinichi; Yasuda, Kenichiro; Miyamoto, Yutaka; et al.

Radiochimica Acta, 97(2), p.83 - 89, 2009/02

https://doi.org/10.1524/ract.2009.1577

Anion-exchange chromatography of element 105, dubnium (Db), produced in the Cm(F, 5n)Db reaction is investigated together with the homologues Nb and Ta, and the pseudo-homologue Pa in 13.9 M hydrofluoric acid (HF) solution. The distribution coefficient (K) of Db on an anion-exchange resin is successfully determined by running cycles of the 1702 chromatographic column separations. The result clearly indicates that the adsorption of Db on the resin is significantly different from that of the homologues and that the adsorption of anionic fluoro complexes of these elements decreases in the sequence of Ta Nb Db Pa.

Hexafluoro complex of rutherfordium in mixed HF/HNO solutions

Toyoshima, Atsushi; Haba, Hiromitsu*; Tsukada, Kazuaki; Asai, Masato; Akiyama, Kazuhiko*; Goto, Shinichi*; Ishii, Yasuo; Nishinaka, Ichiro; Sato, Tetsuya; Nagame, Yuichiro; et al.

Radiochimica Acta, 96(3), p.125 - 134, 2008/03

https://doi.org/10.1524/ract.2008.1474

Formation of an anionic fluoride-complex of element 104, rutherfordium (Rf) produced in the Cm(O,5n)Rf reaction was studied by an anion-exchange method based on an atom-at-a-time scale. It was found that the hexafluoro complex of Rf, [RfF], was formed in the studied fluoride ion concentrations of 0.0005 - 0.013 M. Formation of [RfF] was significantly different from that of the homologues Zr and Hf, [ZrF] and [HfF]; the evaluated formation constant of [RfF] is at least one-order of magnitude smaller than those of [ZrF] and [HfF].