Samarium isotope compositions of uranium ore concentrates: A novel nuclear forensic signature

Shollenberger, Quinn R.; Borg, Lars E.; Ramon, Erick C.; Sharp, Michael A.; Brennecka, Gregory A.

doi:10.1016/j.talanta.2020.121431

Title: Samarium isotope compositions of uranium ore concentrates: A novel nuclear forensic signature

Journal Article · Fri Jul 31 00:00:00 EDT 2020 · Talanta

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2020.121431· OSTI ID:1668482

Shollenberger, Quinn R. ^[1];

^[2]; Ramon, Erick C. ^[2]; Sharp, Michael A. ^[2]; Brennecka, Gregory A. ^[1]

Univ. of Munster (Germany); Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

Uranium ore is mined and milled to produce uranium ore concentrate (UOC), a regulated product of the nuclear fuel cycle. Additionally, diversion of UOC from the fuel cycle into possible weapons production is a key concern in global nonproliferation efforts. As such, the ability to trace the origin of seized nuclear materials is imperative to law enforcement efforts. Although isotopic signatures of UOCs have proven fruitful to pinpoint sample provenance, new isotopic signatures are needed because most existing isotopic signatures are not indicative of the original ore body from which the U is derived. In this work, we developed a new method to separate samarium (Sm) from a U-rich sample matrix and report the first Sm isotope compositions of 32 UOCs derived from a variety of worldwide uranium mines. Relative to terrestrial standards, approximately half the UOCs have resolved and anticorrelated ¹⁴⁹Sm-¹⁵⁰Sm isotope compositions, consistent with the capture of thermal neutrons by ¹⁴⁹Sm in the ore body. The UOCs with anomalous Sm isotope compositions tend to derive from older (~>1.5Ga) and higher-grade ore bodies, although other factors, such as the presence of neutron moderators like water, also play a role. Nonetheless, the Sm isotope compositions of UOCs directly reflects the neutron fluence over the history of the original ore body and can be used to discern different geologic conditions associated with that ore body. Overall, this work demonstrates the potential use of Sm isotopes as a novel nuclear forensics signature for origin assessment of UOCs.

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Research Organization:: Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); German Research Foundation (DFG)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC52-07NA27344; 440227108

OSTI ID:: 1668482

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1810950

Report Number(s):: LLNL-JRNL-811552; 1018406

Journal Information:: Talanta, Vol. 221; ISSN 0039-9140

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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58 GEOSCIENCES
Nuclear forensics
origin assessment
samarium isotopes
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thermal neutron capture

Title: Samarium isotope compositions of uranium ore concentrates: A novel nuclear forensic signature

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References (38)

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