基于快中子激发γ射线活化的铒元素测量研究  

Determination of erbium by using fast neutron induced gamma-ray activation analysis

作　　者：程璨 贾文宝[3] 顾加雨 胡尊浩 邢立腾 夏勋荣 张焱 CHENG Can;JIA Wenbao;GU Jiayu;HU Zunhao;XING Liteng;XIA Xunrong;ZHANG Yan(Nanjing Tech University,Nanjing 211816,China;Jiangsu Institute of Metrology(Jiangsu Energy Measurement Data Center),Nanjing 210023,China;Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics,Nanjing 211106,China;East China University of Technology,Nanchang 330013,China)

机构地区：[1]南京工业大学,南京211816 [2]江苏省计量科学研究院(江苏省能源计量数据中心),南京210023 [3]南京航空航天大学,南京211106 [4]东华理工大学,南昌330013

出　　处：《核技术》2024年第10期26-33,共8页Nuclear Techniques

基　　金：国家自然科学基金(No.12105143,No.42374226);中国博士后科学基金(No.2023M741453);江苏省卓越博士后计划(No.JB23057);江苏省市场监督管理局科技计划项目(No.KJ2024009,No.KJ2024044,No.KJ2023015)资助。

摘　　要：在核燃料的生产过程中会添加中子毒物提高性能,铒是一种常见的中子毒物,在这类核燃料生产过程中需要对铒的含量进行测量分析,而瞬发γ射线中子活化分析(Prompt Gamma-ray Neutron Activation Analysis,PGNAA)是一种适用于大体积样品检测的无损检测技术。针对PGNAA技术对大体积铒样品检测的可行性进行了研究,利用氘-氚(D-T)中子发生器和高纯锗探测器搭建了测量平台,选取氧化铒作为样品,利用快中子与铒元素反应发射的815.9 keV特征峰进行测量分析,对样品处的中子能谱信息进行了模拟计算和实验分析,并对样品的校准曲线进行了刻度。结果显示,特征峰含量与铒元素的质量呈现良好的线性关系,该测量平台对铒元素的检测限为28 g,同时发现238U的伴生γ射线对于特征峰测量无干扰,研究结果为后续的核燃料中铒元素分析奠定了研究基础。[Background]In the process of nuclear fuel generation,neutron poisons are added to enhance performance of nuclear fuel.Erbium is a common neutron poison,and its content needs to be measured and analyzed during the production of such nuclear fuels.The traditional methods have limited penetration and can only analyze the surface of the samples,unable to penetrate the bulk nuclear fuel materials for internal component analysis.Prompt Gamma-ray Neutron Activation Analysis(PGNAA)is a non-destructive testing technique,which is suitable for detecting large samples.[Purpose]This study aims to explore the feasibility of determining the erbium in large samples based on PGNAA technology.[Methods]Firstly,a deuterium-tritium(D-T)neutron generator and a high-purity germanium(HPGe)detector were employed to establish a measurement platform.Erbium oxide was selected as the sample,and measurements were conducted utilizing the 815.9 keV peak emitted from the reaction of fast neutrons with erbium.Then,the neutron yield of D-T neutron generator was calculated using copper foil activation and Monte Carlo simulations,and the neutron spectrum at sample position was calculated using Monte Carlo simulation for observing the thermal and fast neutron fluxes.Finally,the calibration curve and mass detection limit were analyzed.[Results]Measurement results show that the neutron yield of D-T neutron generator is(2.34±0.01)×106 s-1 and the fast neutron flux at sample position is 106 cm-2∙s-1.Analysis results demonstrate that there is a good linear relationship between the 815.9 keV peak counts and the mass of erbium.The mass detection limit for erbium is 28 g.In addition,there is no interference between the intrinsic gamma ray of 238U and the 815.9 keV Er peak.[Conclusions]This study verifies the feasibility of PGNAA technology for the erbium determination,which can be used for further analysis of erbium in nuclear fuel.

关 键 词：瞬发γ射线中子活化分析 中子发生器 质量检测限 氧化铒 

分 类 号：TL8[核科学技术—核技术及应用]