Application of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for origin assessment of uranium ore refining process intermediates

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Application of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for origin

assessment of uranium ore refining process intermediates

Doucet, Francois R.; Bouchard, Paul; Sabsabi, Mohamad; Kosierb, Rick

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Application of Laser-Induced Breakdown

Spectroscopy for Origin Assessment of

Uranium Ore Refining Process

Intermediates

François R. Doucet,

* a

_{Paul Bouchard,}

a

_{Mohamad Sabsabi,}

a

_{and Rick Kosierb}

b

a

_{National Research Council Canada, Energy , Mining and Environment, 75 de}

Mortagne Blvd., Boucherville (QC), Canada, J4B 6Y4; E -mail:

francois.doucet@cnrc-nrc.gc.ca

b

_{Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, Directorate of Security and Safeguards,}

280 Slater St, Ottawa (ON), Canada, K1P 5S9

Abstract

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has the mandate to safeguard the use of uranium, plutonium and thorium worldwide, as nuclear fuel for civil uses, avoiding their diversion use in weapons of mass destruction or explosive devices. Terrorist and proliferation activists are employing more sophisticated means than those used in the past to achieve their objectives. Border security services, first responders and regulators need to adapt to this challenge and to seek technologies that can provide quick and accurate information, in order to prevent clandestine activities or initiate rapid responses to them. Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) technique has several advantages, the most relevant are real-time measurement, contact with the sample is not necessary, and analysis can be made at a distance avoiding contamination by radioactive materials. LIBS and Partial Least Square – Discriminative Analysis (PLS-DA) were used for the origin assessment of uranium ore refining process intermediates for real-time nuclear forensics. A PLS-DA model was built to assess the origin different process intermediate samples. The results obtained suggest the applicability of LIBS to identify the origin of uranium ore refining intermediate. The correctly classified rate for external validation set is better than 96% for the blind validation set. The results obtained with the transportable LIBS unit clearly show the usefulness of this approach for real-time onsite nuclear forensics.