The preparation of uranium-doped glass reference materials for environmental measurements

Seven different uranium glass powders containing 5 mass% uranium with 235U abundances from natural to highly enriched have been prepared for the IRMM support programme to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and for the IRMM external NUSIMEP quality control programme (Nuclear Signatures Interlaboratory Measurement Evaluation Programme). The particles will be primarily used, blended with (inactive) matrix glass powder in various ratios to simulate environmental samples containing “hot” particles in order to assess the performance of various separation and measurement techniques. High-purity borosilicate glass was prepared by blending of powders, melting and grinding by ball milling and jet milling to a powder of about 12 μm. A quantity of this glass was then blended with U3O8, melted and milled to powder. Laser diffraction measurements were made to ensure that the particle size distribution of the uranium glass matched that of the matrix glass in order to ensure homogeneous blending. The final yield was 30–40 g of each uranium glass and 1 kg of matrix glass. The glasses have been certified as reference materials for isotope abundances of uranium.