PNNL

Abstract

X-ray radiography offers the ability to noninvasively inspect the internal structure and material composition of objects. Dual-energy radiography allows material discrimination, but is limited in quantitative material measurements due to the broad nature of the interrogating X-ray spectrum. Spectral radiography detectors provide an observation of not just the number of X-rays that transmit through a sample, but also the spectrum. Here, we present experimental validations of a method to use spectral X-ray radiography to accurately quantify the uranium mass in a powder sample for application to nuclear safeguards interrogation. An accurate system response model was generated, which captures the incident X-ray source spectrum and a pixel-wise detector response that describes how the transmitted X-rays are observed. Further, a calibration to account for the effect of partial X-ray attenuation was developed. We demonstrate the ability to estimate the uranium mass in a variety of uranium oxide powders to -0.01 ± 0.62%.