AUTOMATED RADIOANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY: APPLICATIONS FOR THE LABORATORY AND INDUSTRIAL PROCESS MONITORING
The identification and quantification of targeted α- and β-emitting radionuclides via destructive analysis in complex radioactive liquid matrices is highly challenging. Analyses are typically accomplished at on- or off-site laboratories through laborious sample preparation steps and extensive chemical separations followed by analysis using a variety of detection methodologies (e.g., liquid scintillation, alpha energy spectroscopy, mass spectrometry). Analytical results may take days or weeks to report. When an industrial-scale plant requires periodic or continuous monitoring of radionuclides as an indication of the composition of its feed stream, diversion of safeguarded nuclides, or of plant operational conditions (for example), radiochemical measurements should be rapid, but not at the expense of precision and accuracy. Scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have developed and characterized a host of automated radioanalytical systems designed to perform reproducible and rapid radioanalytical processes. Platforms have been assembled for 1) automation and acceleration of sample analysis in the laboratory and 2) automated monitors for monitoring industrial scale nuclear processes on-line with near-real time results. These methods have been applied to the analysis of environmental-level actinides and fission products to high-level nuclear process fluids. Systems have been designed to integrate a number of discrete sample handling steps, including sample pretreatment (e.g., digestion and valence state adjustment) and chemical separations. The systems have either utilized on-line analyte detection or have collected the purified analyte fractions for off-line measurement applications. One PNNL system of particular note is a fully automated prototype on-line radioanalytical system designed for the Waste Treatment Plant at Hanford, WA, USA. This system demonstrated nearly continuous destructive analysis of the soft β-emitting radionuclide 99Tc in nuclear tank waste feed solutions. The system is compact, fully self-calibrating, and analytical results can be immediately transmitted to on- or off-site locations. This platform exemplifies how automation can be integrated into reprocessing facilities to support the needs of international nuclear safeguards and reprocessing plant operational monitoring.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 1025098
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-70077; TRN: US1104827
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 2nd JAPAN-IAEA Workshop on Advanced Safeguards Technology for the Future Nuclear Fuel Cycle, November 10-13, 2009, Tokai-mura, Ibaraki, Japan
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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