Characterization of cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) thin films with 17, 35 and 52 wt% butyryl is carried out to select the most suitable matrix material for the U and Pu containing large-sized dried spike reference material. The virgin CAB samples were aged by vibrations, heat, humidity, UV light and X-rays. Characterization was done by thermo-analytical techniques, gel permeation chromatography, mechanical tests and via Rayleigh and Compton scattering. The results show that CAB with lower butyryl content can withstand higher operational temperatures and has greater mechanical strength while CAB with higher butyryl content seems to be more resistant to radiation.
Keywords: Ageing; Cellulose acetate butyrate; Large-sized dried spike; Nuclear safeguards; Plutonium; Uranium.