US 11,782,045 B2
Method for assessing the concentration of uranium in a sample by gamma spectrometry, and associated device
Thomas Marchais, Saint-Paul-Lez-Durance (FR); Bertrand Perot, Venelles (FR); Cédric Carasco, St Julien (FR); Jean-Luc Ma, Manosque (FR); Hervé Toubon, Les Essarts-le-Roi (FR); and Romain Goupillou, Limoges (FR)
Assigned to ORANO MINING, Chatillon (FR); and COMMISSARIAT À L'ÉNERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ÉNERGIES ALTERNATIVES, Paris (FR)
Appl. No. 17/294,058
Filed by Orano Mining, Chatillon (FR); and Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives, Paris (FR)
PCT Filed Nov. 13, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/081147
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 14, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/099472, PCT Pub. Date May 22, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 18 60485 (FR), filed on Nov. 14, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0011287 A1, Jan. 13, 2022
Int. Cl. G01N 33/24 (2006.01); G01N 23/083 (2018.01); G01T 1/36 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 33/24 (2013.01) [G01N 23/083 (2013.01); G01T 1/362 (2013.01); G01N 2223/616 (2013.01); G01N 2223/626 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for assessing a concentration of uranium in a sample of uranium-bearing material by gamma spectrometry, the sample having a density and a height, the method comprising:
acquiring an energy spectrum of gamma radiation from the sample using a scintillator detector, the energy spectrum comprising at least a first energy band between 87 keV and 110 keV, and a second energy band between 560 keV and 660 keV, the second energy band comprising at least one energy line at 609 keV of 214Bi;
calculating an initial mass concentration of uranium using an area of the first energy band, an area of the second energy band, and a net area of the 609 keV energy line of 214Bi;
measuring a parameter that is representative of the height of the sample and a parameter that is representative of the density of the sample;
calculating a corrective coefficient using the parameter that is representative of the height of the sample, the parameter that is representative of the density of the sample, and the initial mass concentration of uranium; and
calculating a corrected mass concentration of uranium using the initial mass concentration of uranium and the corrective coefficient.