Verification and accountancy of nuclear materials are just two examples of
activities that require accurate measurements of radioactive isotopes. IRMM
supports nuclear safeguards by providing specialised reference materials and
quality control schemes for nuclear safeguards laboratories. IRMM also has
considerable experience in doing top class measurements, and gives support and
advice to the Directorates-General of the European Commission and other
customers.
Reference materials
Measurements for nuclear material accounting and control need reference
materials as the foundation of the measurement processes. IRMM specialises in
isotopic reference materials.
To produce new isotopic reference materials and materials that resemble real
samples the methods of production and analysis need to be developed and
adjusted. IRMM has, for instance, developed dried spikes and a method to
prepare uranium fluoride gas samples with specified isotopic compositions.
A complete set of isotopic reference materials are available for both uranium
and plutonium and in recent years both large size spikes for measurement of
dissolved nuclear fuel and small spikes and isotopic reference materials for
the other end of the scale - environmental samples - have been produced.
See the
catalogue.
External quality control programmes
IRMM organises quality control programmes for nuclear safeguards laboratories
analysing uranium and plutonium containing materials and nuclear signatures in
the environment. IRMM started the Regular European Interlaboratory Measurement
Evaluation Programme (
REIMEP) over 20 years ago. Samples are prepared and certified at IRMM and
sent ‘blind’ to participating laboratories who send in their measured results
and receive in turn the certified values. A similar programme ‘Nuclear
Signatures Interlaboratory Measurement Evaluation Programme’ (
NUSIMEP) was established in 1996 for measurement of the typically small
amounts of nuclear materials in environmental samples.