AU0221601 ANA 2001 CONrERENCE ON C Ki55 24 " 2S OCTOBER 2001 CONFERENCE HANDBOOK THEME: "A NEW NUCLEAR CENTURY- ANA ^7 3/3 ISBN 0 949188 13 -~ 00S"lf ANA 2001 "FOURTH CONFERENCE ON NUCLEAR SCIENCE & ENGINEERING IN AUSTRALIA" THE MILLENNIUM HOTEL KINGS CROSS, NSW, AUSTRALIA 24-25 OCTOBER 2001 THEME: "A NEW NUCLEAR CENTURY" (ANA) HOSTED BY THE AUSTRALIAN NUCLEAR ASSOCIATION INC. THE PRINTING OF THE CONFERENCE HANDBOOK WAS SPONSORED BY ENERGY RESOURCES OF AUSTRALIA ISBN 0 949188 13 1 PLEASE BE AWARE THAT ALL OF THE MISSING PAGES IN THIS DOCUMENT WERE ORIGINALLY BLANK First published in Australia in 2001 by The Australian Nuclear Association Inc. PO Box 445, Sutherland, NSW 1499 Australia Copyright © 2001 Australian Nuclear Association Inc. This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of fair study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced under any process without written permission from the publisher. Responsibility for the content of the papers rests upon the authors and not the Australian Nuclear Association Inc. Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Australian Nuclear Association Inc. Conference Handbook of the Fourth Conference on Nuclear Science & Engineering in Australia Kings Cross, NSW, 24-25 October 2001 Includes titles and authors of papers and index of authors ISBN 0 949188 13 1 1. Nuclear Research 2. Replacement Research Reactor 3. Australian Uranium Resources 4. Radioactive Waste Management 5. Radiation Protection 6. Environment 7. Sustainable Development 8. Nuclear Medicine 9. Nuclear Science and Technology for the Future 10. Nuclear Education Cover design and page layout by C. J. Hardy Typeface 18/12/10 pt Times New Roman Printed in Australia by J. Lyons Printer 84 Harris Street Pyrmont NSW 2009 (ii) FOREWORD The Australian Nuclear Association (ANA) inaugurated a series of biennial national conferences in 1995 to be held in alternate years to the series of international Pacific Basin Nuclear Conferences, of which the Ninth in the series was hosted by the ANA in Sydney in May 1994. The main objective of these national conferences is to present information on all aspects of the peaceful uses of nuclear science and engineering in Australia and to place this information in a world context. These conferences have the general title of "Nuclear Science and Engineering in Australia" and consist mainly of papers invited from leading experts in areas of topical interest in nuclear science and technology supported by contributed poster papers. This fourth conference in 2001 has the theme "A New Nuclear Century" and again consists of invited papers supported by contributed poster papers on the topics: (1) Nuclear Research and the Replacement Research Reactor; (2) Australian Uranium Resources; (3) Radioactive Waste Management; (4) Low Level Radiation / Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety; (5) The Environment and Sustainable Development; (6) Applications - The Environment and Sustainable Development; (7) Applications - Overview of Nuclear Medicine; (8) Applications - Radiation and Non-Destructive Testing; (9) Nuclear Science and Technology for the Future; (10) Nuclear Education in the Secondary and Tertiary Sectors - Panel Discussion. The ANA is very pleased that Senator The Hon. Nick Minchin, Minister for Industry, Science and Resources, has agreed to open the conference on 24 October, and that Dr Robin Batterham, Chief Scientist, has agreed to be the General Chairman and chair the technical sessions. The texts of the majority of the papers presented orally and as posters are included in this Handbook. The posters include one from the winner of the David Culley Award in 2001. This Award was instituted by the ANA in 1993 to encourage work in nuclear science and technology in schools and colleges in recognition of the interests in education of Mr David Culley, a former Treasurer of the ANA, who died in 1992. The ANA is pleased that the early registrations received for this conference as this Handbook went to the printers have confirmed its expectations that a broad spectrum of persons would attend from government, industry, the universities and the public. The assistance of the members of the Conference Advisory Committee is gratefully acknowledged as also is the work of Mrs Margaret Lanigan, Conference Manager, and MrsRobyn Shearwood of Conference Overload Pty Ltd.. Dr Clarence J. Hardy Executive Chairman and Editor (iii) CONTENTS * Foreword (iii) * Conference Advisory Committee and Conference Manager (iv) * Final Program with Session Times (v) - (viii) * Sponsors and Exhibitors (x) * Texts of Papers 1-197 * Author Index 198 CONFERENCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE Dr Clarence Hardy, Executive Chairman ANA2001; Honorary Secretary, ANA Mr Roger Alsop, President, ANA Dr Peter Airey, ANSTO; Honorary Treasurer (from August 2001), ANA Mr John Rodd, Honorary Treasurer (to August 2001), ANA DrNeil McDonald, ANSTO, Past-President ANA Mr Douglas Ebeling, Chairman, Nuclear Engineering Panel, The Institution of Engineers, Australia Dr Dennis Mather, Scientific Secretary, AINSE Dr John Easey, ANSTO Dr Donald Higson, Consultant; Representative for ARPS Mr Ian Hore-Lacy, General Manager, Uranium Information Centre, Melbourne Mr Colin Hockings, Qantas NDT Section; Representative for Australian Institute of Non-Destructive Testing Mrs Margaret Lanigan, Conference Manager, Conference Overload Pty Ltd Ms Robyn Shearwood, Conference Overload Pty Ltd CONFERENCE MANAGER Mrs Margaret Lanigan Conference Overload Pty Ltd (ABN43 095 155 972) PO Box 589 Willoughby NSW 2068 Australia (iv) FINAL PROGRAM ANA 2001 "FOURTH CONFERENCE ON NUCLEAR SCIENCE & ENGINEERING IN AUSTRALIA" KINGS CROSS, NSW, 24-25 OCTOBER 2001 Hosted by the Australian Nuclear Association Inc. Technical Co-Sponsors Australian Nuclear Science & Technology Organisation (ANSTO) Australian Institute of Nuclear Science & Engineering (AINSE) Nuclear Engineering Panel, The Institution of Engineers, Australia The Australian Institute of Non-Destructive Testing The Australasian Radiation Protection Society (ARPS) The Uranium Information Centre, Melbourne Conference Venue The Macleay Rooms The Millennium Hotel Kings Cross, NSW 2011 Australia (v) FINAL TECHNICAL PROGRAM Wednesday, 24 October 2001 10.00 Welcome Address Dr Robin Batterham, Chief Scientist, General Chairman Opening Address Senator The Hon. Nick Minchin, Minister for Industry, Science & Resources Session 1. Nuclear Research and the Replacement Research Reactor 10.30-12.00 10.30 "Research Achievements and Commercial Interactions at ANSTO" Professor Helen Garnett, Executive Director, ANSTO; p.l. 11.00 "AINSE's Role in Tertiary Sector Applied Nuclear Research" Professor Ron Cooper, President, AINSE; p.5. 11.30 "The Replacement Research Reactor" Dr Ron Cameron and Mr Ken Horlock, ANSTO; p. 10. Opening of Exhibition and Buffet Lunch 12.15-13.30 Session 2. Development of Australian Uranium Resources 13.30-15.00 13.30 "Australian Uranium Resources and Production in the World Context" Mr Aden McKay, Dr Ian Lambert and Mr Yards Miezitis, AGSO Geoscience Australia, Canberra; p. 23. 14.00 "Developments in Uranium Solution Mining in Australia" Mr Tom Hunter, Southern Cross Resources Australia Pty Ltd; p.30. 14.30 "Environmental Compliance Requirements for Uranium Mining in Northern Australia" Mr Peter Waggitt, Mr Alex Zapantis and Mr M. Triggs, Office of the Supervising Scientist, Darwin; p.35. Tea/Coffee Break 15.00-15.30 Session 4. "Radioactive Waste Management" 15.30-17.00 15.30 "Progress on the National Low Level Radioactive Waste Repository and Intermediate Level Waste Store" Dr Caroline Perkins, Department of Industry, Science & Resources, Mr S. Veitch and Mr J. Kellett, Bureau of Rural Science, Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Australia; p.41. 16.00 "Synroc - Progress and Future Prospects" Dr Adam Jostsons, ANSTO; p.45. 16.30 "Progress Towards Developing an International Radioactive Waste Repository" Dr Marcis Kurzeme, Pangea Resources Australia Pty Ltd; p.50. Session 3. Radiation Protection, Nuclear Safety & Low Level Radiation 17.00-18.00 17.00 "Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety - Achievements and the Way Ahead for ARPANSA" Dr John Loy, ARPANSA; p.51. 17.30 "Review of the Controversy on Risks from Low Level Radiation" Dr Donald Higson, Consultant; p.55. 18.00 Close of Technical Sessions, Day 1. Cocktail Reception and Viewing of Posters and Exhibition 18.15-20.15 (vi) FINAL TECHNICAL PROGRAM Thursday, 25 October 2001 Session 5. The Environment and Sustainable Development 9.00-10.00 09.00 "A Meteorologist's View of the Greenhouse Effect" Dr John Zillman, Director, The Meteorology Bureau; p.61. 09.30 "Sustainability in Australia - Past, Present and Future" Dr John Sligar, Sligar and Associates Pty Ltd; p.66. Tea/Coffee Break 10.00-10.30 Session 6. Applications - Environment & Sustainable Development 10.30-11.30 10.30 "Isotopes as Validation Tools for Global Climate Models" Professor Ann Henderson-Sellers, ANSTO; p.70. 11.00 "Water Resources and Water Pollution Studies" Dr Peter Airey, ANSTO; p.75. Session 7. Applications-Overview of Nuclear Medicine 11.30-12.30 11.30 "The State of the Art in Diagnostic Nuclear Medicine", Dr Andrew Scott, Austin & Repatriation Medical Centre; p.81. 12.00 "The State of the Art in Therapeutic Nuclear Medicine" Professor Barry Allen, St George Cancer Care Centre; p.85. Buffet Lunch and Viewing of Exhibition 12.30-13.30 Session 8. Applications of Radiation and Non-Destructive Testing 13.30-14.30 13.30 "On-Line and Bulk Analysis for