The quantitative verification of the accountancy of fissile nuclear materials through independent measurements represents one of the key elements of nuclear materials Safeguards. Elemental probes of materials of interest to non-proliferation are critical to research strategy in order to identify sensitive advanced instrumentation detection technologies. Advanced instrumentation for material detection and accountability are needed for use in fuel cycle facilities for real-time in-process monitoring of separations-partitioning, fuels fabrication as well as for traditional safeguards activities. Radiation-based NDA (non-destructive analysis) techniques can provide some vital information about nuclear materials much more quickly, cheaply and safely than chemical or radio chemical analysis. Hybrid K-edge densitometry (HKED) is currently the most accurate nondestructive inspection technique that provides sensitive quantification of heavy metal contamination. HKED in a technique that exploits both K-edge absorption and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and allows simultaneously greater elemental specificity and lower detection limits

Throughout the three-year project funded by the Department of Energy (DOE) and lead by Virginia Tech (VT), project tasks were modified by consensus to fit the changing needs of the DOE with respect to developing new inert matrix fuel processing techniques. The focus throughout the project was on the use of microwave energy to sinter fully stabilized zirconia pellets using microwave energy and to evaluate the effectiveness of techniques that were developed. Additionally, the research team was to propose fundamental concepts as to processing radioactive fuels based on the effectiveness of the microwave process in sintering the simulated matrix material.