Open AccessCalorimetric assay of {sup 60}Co sources from C-overbore facilities
Author(s) -
Karolina Sowa
Publication year - 1969
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.2172/80374
Subject(s) - cobalt , tube (container) , cobalt 60 , radiochemistry , calorimeter (particle physics) , analytical chemistry (journal) , chemistry , materials science , nuclear chemistry , irradiation , nuclear physics , physics , composite material , chromatography , optics , inorganic chemistry , detector
Cobalt irradiations were completed in two C-Reactor overbore tubes in support of Mission and Program investigations of isotope production. Tubes 1459 and 464 were each charged with approximately 4015 grams of cobalt in strips similar to BNL pieces described in a separate report. After discharge, the strips were placed in an underwater calorimeter to determine the heat contribution from isotopic decay, thereby allowing an assay of cobalt-60 concentrations. The cobalt-60 produced in tube 1464-C was retained by Douglas United Nuclear for source material in an underwater gamma irradiator at KE-Reactor; the remaining cobalt, from tube 1459-C, was shipped to Battelle-Northwest for further experiments and applications. A total of 396,400 Ci of cobalt-60 was produced in tube 1459-C and 272,700 Ci in tube 1464-C during the irradiations. Production in tube 1459-C occurred at the rate of 0.637 Ci/gm per 100 MWd/T of adjacent tube power; production in tube 1464-C occurred at the rate of 0.670 Ci/gm per 100 MWd/T of adjacent tube power. The total irradiation time was 880.813 full power days for tube 1459-C and 569.010 full power days for tube 1464-C