Uranium hexafluoride is a basic material used to prepare nuclear reactor fuel. To be suitable for this purpose, the material must meet the criteria for isotopic composition. This test method is designed to determine whether the material meets the requirements described in Specifications C 787 and C 996.

ASTM Committee C-26 Safeguards Statement:

5.2.1 The material (uranium hexafluoride) to which this test method applies is subject to the nuclear safeguards regulations governing its possession and use. The analytical procedure in this test method has been designated as technically acceptable for generating safeguards accountability data.

5.2.2 When used in conjunction with appropriate certified reference materials (CRMs), this procedure can demonstrate traceability to the national measurement base. However, adherence to this procedure does not automatically guarantee regulatory acceptance of the regulatory safeguards measurements. It remains the sole responsibility of the user of this test method to ensure that its application to safeguards has the approval of the proper regulatory authorities.

1.1 This test method covers the isotopic analysis of uranium hexafluoride (UF₆) and may be used for the entire range of ²³⁵U isotopic compositions for which standards are available.

1.2 This test method is applicable to the determination of the isotopic relationship between two UF₆ samples. If the abundance of a specific isotope of one sample (the standard) is known, its abundance in the other can be determined. This test method is flexible in that the number of times a given material is admitted to the ion source may be adjusted to the minimum required for a specified precision level.

1.3 The sensitivity with which differences between two materials can be detected depends on the measuring system used, but ratio-measuring devices can generally read ratio-of-mol ratio differences as small as 0.0001.

1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.

1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. Specific hazards statements are given in Section 7.