ML20212B020

Insp Rept 70-0371/86-13 on 861208-12.No Violations Noted. Major Areas Inspected:Measurement Control Program for SNM

ML20212B020
Person / Time
Site:	07000371
Issue date:	01/22/1987
From:	Keimig R, Zibulsky H NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:
Shared Package
ML20212B001	List: ML20212A997 ML20212B020
References
70-0371-86-13, 70-371-86-13, NUDOCS 8703030459
Download: ML20212B020 (4)

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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION I J -

Report No. 70-371/86-13

-Docket No.70-371 License No. -SNM-368 Safeguards Group 1 Licensee: 'UNC-Naval Products Division

~67 Sandy Desert Road

%(, .Uncasville, CT 06382 y

, ' Facility Name: UNC Naval Products Inspection At: Uncasville, CT Inspection Cor:ductedi December 8-12, 1986-Inspector: dM, "" b k 1 - 2.I - T 7 H. Zibulsky,' Cheinist '

date Approved,by:

f; R. Keimig, Wh /-L2- f7 4 date

<7( Nuclear Me/ Chief,</ Safeguards erialVSafety Section, and Safeguards Branch Inspection Summary: Routine, announced material control and accounting inspection on December 8-12, 1986 (Report No. 70-371/86-13)

Area Inspected: Measurement control program for special nuclear material.

Results: The licensee was in compliance with NRC requirements in the area

. examined during this inspection.

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DETAILS

1. Persons Contacted

• T. Collopy, Manager, Nuclear Material Control

• A. Santaniello, Manager of Laboratories

• N. Grenon, Supervisor, Nuclear Material Control

• S. Ververis, Supervisor, Chemistry

• M. Kelly, Statistical Specialist R. Gross, Chemist C. Jordan, Chemistry Technician T. Pitcher, Chemistry Technician The inspector also interviewed other licensee personnel involved in the control and accounting of special nuclear material and chemistry.

• Present at exit interview.

2. MC 30703 - Exit Interview The inspector met with the licensee's representative indicated in para-4 graph I at'the conclusion of the inspection on December 12, 1986, and summarized the scope and findings of the inspection.

4 At no time during this inspection was written material provided to the licensee by the inspector.

3. MC 92701 - Licensee Action on Previous Inspection Findings (Closed) Inspector Followup Item (86-08-01) - The analysts showed significant biases when analyzing the NRC's standard solutions (see paragraph 4 for details).

4. MC 85207 - Measurement Systems Nine standards with varying matrices and concentrations of uranium were l provided to the licensee for analyses by the NRC inspector. The liquid standards were prepared with normal uranium and certified by the New Brunswick Laboratory (NBL). The uranium concentrations and matrices were within the normal range of the material the licensee routinely analyzes.

The inspector observed a technician analyze three of the standards using the spectrophotometric TOP 0 extraction procedure. This procedure is used to analyze low level uranium concentrations found in laboratory waste solutions. During NRC Inspection Number 86-08, the analysis of the control standard, which was analyzed with the NRC standards, identified a significant positive bias.

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The analysis of the NRC. standards also indicated a significant positive bias. During this present inspection, the licensee used new U 0 standard 38 for calibration. To insure complete decomposition of the standard, the licensee fused the oxide instead of using a nitric acid digestion and sulfuric acid fuming. The analyses of the NRC standard solutions compared well, with good precision, as indicated in the following table.

NRC Standard Relative % Bias Uncertainty

.00001219U/g 0 0

.0000050gU/g +2.0 10.30

.0000012gU/g +8.3 0.19 The inspector also observed two technicians analyze the remaining six NRC standards,_using the gravimetric Davies and Gray titration. Analysis on one set of standards had to be repeated due to large fluctuation of room temperature. The inspector noted that the room temperature in the morning was 25 C; by midafternoon, the room temperature was 20 C. This resulted in very large positive biases, increasing as the temperature decreased.

With such variations in temperature, titration should not be attempted.

The engineering department later determined that the thermostatic control was defective. Suosequently, after the temperature was stabilized, the results of analysis of the NRC standards compared well, with good preci-sion; but, there was still a systematic positive bias. After the NRC standards were analyzed, the licensee investigated the probable cause for the systematic error. A new V38 0 standard was calibrated against the old U0 38standard. The old standard indicated higher than the theoretical value of the oxide, which would account for the positive bias; however, a comparison between the new V 0 standard and the NRC standard was not 38 possible because the NRC standard had been expended. The licensee was using only one standard U 380 stock powder for both calibration and for measurement control. This practice does not allow for the identification of a contaminated standard. The licensee stated that, in the future, two independent standard U 03 8 p wders will be maintained to allow cross check-ing the quality of the standards.

The results of the analyses by titration are provided in the following table.

Analyst #1 Analyst #2 Rel. % Rel. %

NRC Standard Bias Uncertainty

• Bias Uncertainty

• 0.0146819U /g +0.09 10.16 +0.11 10.08 ,

0.0200299U/g +0.13 0.20 +0.08 0. ?

0.0254619U/g +0.08 10.19 +0.07 0.01 t

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Analyst #1 Analyst #2 Rel. % Rel. %

NRC-Standard Bias Uncertainty

• Bias Uncertainty *-

0.024970gU/g ** .+0.16 10.06- +0.23 0.02 0.030010gU/g ** +0.40 10.29 +0.65 i0.28 0.035064gU/g ** +0.15 10.05 +0.48 i0.29

• Uncertainty values are based on 2 sigma.

• • These standards were in the process of being analyzed when the temper-ature fluctuation was identified.

The inspector requested and observed the licensee taking samples of 3 new finished fuels. These will be sent to New Brunswick Laboratory for independent confirmatory analyses. On completion of the analyses, a statistical evaluation will be made by the NRC inspector. (Inspector Followup Item (IFI) 86-13-01)

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