| A feasibility study of Neutron Vibrational Spectroscopy as a method for nondestructive analysis of UH3 and ZrH2 was conducted using neutron scattering spectrometers located at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Neutron spectra were obtained using the Low Resolution Medium Energy Chopper Spectrometer (LRMECS) and Chemical Excitation Spectrometer (CHEX) at ANL and the Filter Analyzer Spectrometer (FANS) and Disk Chopper Spectrometer (DCS) at NIST. It was found that a linear relationship I exists between the mass of UH 3 (ZrH2) and the integrated intensity of the inelastic incoherent scattering associated with hydrogen in the sample, but sensitivity varied from spectrometer to spectrometer. The effect of U-235 enrichment on the inelastic scattering spectra will be discussed. Comparative analytical figures of merit, for background interference, sensitivity and measurement duration, will be presented for each instrument. |
