Russia’s first import-substituted hybrid densitometer has been explicitly designed to optimise the process of used nuclear fuel reprocessing by providing a faster, more precise, and automated method for laboratory analysis.
The device, developed by Rosatom in partnership with Green Star Instruments, allows scientists to precisely measure the concentration of heavy metals (uranium and plutonium) remaining in used fuel. This is crucial for evaluating how much “useful resource” can be extracted and recycled into new fuel matrices like Remix or mox fuel.
Traditional laboratory analyses of highly radioactive used fuel are very labour-intensive and require complex, multi-stage chemical extraction. The hybrid densitometer combines non-destructive assay techniques (typically K-edge densitometry and x-ray fluorescence) to run simultaneous, high-precision analyses directly without separating the elements first.
It employs x-ray and gamma radiation to measure uranium and plutonium concentrations without the need for complex sample preparation or chemical reagents, thereby enhancing analytical accuracy and lowering radiation exposure to personnel.
Amid intensifying sanctions and international pushback to decouple from the Russian nuclear sector, this domestic development eliminates dependence on Western-manufactured analytical laboratory hardware, ensuring that Rosatom’s domestic reprocessing pipeline remains entirely self-sufficient.
Compared with traditional methods, the new technique delivers more accurate results and is expected to replace multiple existing analytical procedures, significantly reducing the complexity of laboratory work. In terms of safety, the densitometer can be integrated into laboratory hot cells, allowing operators to handle highly radioactive samples remotely via manipulators, effectively reducing radiation dose to personnel.
Furthermore, experiments have demonstrated that the device can perform measurements through stainless steel pipe walls, laying the groundwork for future direct monitoring of solutions within pipelines without sampling. The prototype has completed acceptance testing at a Rosatom facility in Krasnoyarsk Krai and has been confirmed to meet the intended objectives. This technology is expected to be extended to other nuclear industry enterprises requiring precise control of uranium and plutonium content.
The technology supports Russia’s broader, long-term strategic initiative driven by projects such as Proryv (Breakthrough) to fully close the nuclear fuel cycle by mid-century, minimising long-lived radioactive waste
