Boron loaded materials are an essential component in the safe transportation or storage of both spent and new nuclear fuel. ASTM International addresses important aspects of such boron use in a new standard, ASTM E2971, Test Method for Determination of Effective Boron-10 Areal Density in Aluminum Neutron Absorbers Using Neutron Attenuation Measurements.

“To ensure that control absorbers contain the boron uniformly throughout the materials, a direct neutron attenuation measurement is used,” says ASTM member Josh Vanderstelt, development officer, Nray Services Inc. Vanderstelt notes that ASTM E2971 will provide users, fabricators and regulators with a uniform approach for attenuation measurement. Nuclear regulators, boron neutron absorber manufacturers and inspection facilities will be the primary users of ASTM E2971.

“Inspection facilities will need to follow the testing approach presented in ASTM E2971, while manufacturers can refer to it in purchasing agreements and review inspection procedures,” says Vanderstelt. “Regulatory bodies now have a standard to compare the unique approaches used by various producers to ensure they are compliant with standard industry practices.”

ASTM E2971 is under the jurisdiction of Subcommittee E07.05 on Radiology (Neutron) Method, part of ASTM International Committee E07 on Nondestructive Testing. All interested parties are invited to take part in the standards developing activities of E07.05.

To purchase ASTM standards, visit www.astm.org and search by the standard designation, or contact ASTM Customer Relations (phone: 877-909-ASTM; sales@astm.org). ASTM International welcomes participation in the development of its standards. For more information on becoming an ASTM member, visit www.astm.org/JOIN.

ASTM Committee E07 Next Meeting: Jan. 25-29, 2015, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Technical Contact: Josh Vanderstelt, Nray Services Inc., Dundas, Ontario, Canada, Phone: 905-627-1302, ext. 15; joshv@nray.ca
ASTM Staff Contact: Kate McClung, Phone: 610-832-9717; kmcclung@astm.org
ASTM PR Contact: Barbara Schindler, Phone: 610-832-9603; bschindl@astm.org

Release #9654