SEDL / STP / STP1001-EB / STP10070S

Pressure Vessel Neutron Dosimetry at Three Pressurized Water Reactor Plants Using Niobium Monitors

Cogburn, CO
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR

Hodgson, LM
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR

Williams, JG
University of Illinois, Urbana, IL

Pages: 8    Published: Jan 1989

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Abstract

Commercially available niobium foil material was irradiated in three PWR vessel cavities concurrently with sets of conventional foil materials. Analysis of the ⁹³Nb(n, n′) ^93mNb reaction was compared with reactions from the other foils.

Analysis of the irradiated niobium was carried out by preparing thin deposits from solutions of the dissolved foils. Some difficulty was experienced in preparing uniform, low-mass deposits of sufficient mass accuracy for X-ray spectrometry. However, after several trials satisfactory counting samples were prepared.

Results obtained from the analysis of niobium in the form of thin deposits compared well with neutron transport calculations and with results from the other radiometric monitors.