NSUF 26-5630: Irradiation of 54Fe targets for ASTM International Inter-Laboratory Study of E263, “Standard Test Method for Measuring Fast-Neutron Reaction Rates by Radioactivation of Iron”
The objective of this project is to produce a set of irradiated 54Mn samples to be used in an ASTM interlaboratory study of ASTM E263, “Standard Test Method for Measuring Fast-Neutron Reaction Rates by Radioactivation of Iron.” This effort will determine the precision and biases associated with the use of Standard E263 and thus, provide researchers and industry partners using our nation’s reactor facilities with justification to support materials testing efforts.
The methods employed by this study include the preparation of 100 specimen from IRMM-524B 54Fe wire. These specimen will be irradiated at the INL NRAD facility to a target total fluence of 1E16 n∙cm-2 for a total irradiated period of approximately 10 hours. Post-irradiation examination will then be conducted to confirm uniform activation of the specimen prior to shipment for use in the inter-laboratory study.
If successful, the research will enhance the state of knowledge by providing a comprehensive, cross‑laboratory validation of the uncertainties associated with the ASTM E263 standard. This will strengthen confidence in fast‑neutron fluence measurements used for materials qualification, accelerated testing programs, and benchmarking of advanced reactor simulations.
The expected period of performance for this project is 9 months. The anticipated scientific outcome from this project are quantified precision and biases of the ASTM E263 standard. These results will be made available to the community within an ASTM publication at the peer-reviewed International Symposium on Reactor Dosimetry.
Additional Info
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Awarded Institution | Westinghouse Electric Company |
| DOI | 10.46936/NSUF/60017669 |
| Embargo End Date | 2028-04-22 |
| Facility Tech Lead | Noé Morales |
| Irradiation Facilities | Fuels and Applied Science Building |
| NSUF Call | FY 2026 RTE 1st Call |
| PI | Jordan Kruse |
| PIE Facilities | Hot Fuel Examination Facility |
| Project Member | Dr. Peng Xu - Idaho National Laboratory (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6899-4414) |
| Project Member | Dr. Michael Reichenberger, Radiation Measurement Scientist - Idaho National Laboratory (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8749-4645) |
| Project Member | Mr. Jordan Kruse, Senior Engineer - Westinghouse Electric Company (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5877-2722) |
| Project Member | Mr. Greg Fischer, Fellow Engineer - Westinghouse Electric Company (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5117-4551) |
| Project Type | RTE |