Feasibility study of 233Pa and 233U determination in neutron irradiated thorium for future applications in thorium–uranium nuclear fuel cycle

With regard to the use of thorium fuel for future nuclear energy production, two methods of 233U assay were studied in neutron irradiated thorium and in a mixture of thorium and uranium. The former was based on gamma-spectrometry determination of the 233Pa radionuclide, a precursor of 233U. The latter was direct determination of 233U by neutron activation analysis with counting of delayed neutrons. The mass of 233U determined by both methods is compared with that calculated using Maple9.5 software package.