Year
2024
Abstract
| The National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12) collects and preserves numerous physical samples of nuclear materials. These materials may be used for analytical reference, nuclear forensic analysis, evaluation, comparison, and other applications.The natural reactivity of lithium compounds represents a challenge when sampling these materials for analysis and also for long-term storage. Y-12 has been working on multiple lithium centric projects in recent years and is planning to improve its sampling and preservation techniques in support of future nuclear forensics projects. The lithium compounds to be sampled and preserved are representative of the current and historical production processes for the United States (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE)/NNSA.Y‑12’s historic and continued contributions to the DOE/NNSA nuclear inventory have made the site a prime candidate for conducting these activities. This presentation/paper will discuss planned lithium sampling and preservation techniques to be implemented for future nuclear forensics activities at Y-12. |