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Title: Qualification and initial characterization of a high-purity 233U spike for use in uranium analyses

Journal Article · · International Journal of Mass Spectrometry
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [2]
  1. New Brunswick Lab. (NBL), Argonne, IL (United States)
  2. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Several high-purity 233U items potentially useful as isotope dilution mass spectrometry standards for safeguards, non-proliferation, and nuclear forensics measurements are identified and rescued from downblending. By preserving the supply of 233U materials of different pedigree for use as source materials for certified reference materials (CRMs), it is ensured that the safeguards community has high quality uranium isotopic standards required for calibration of the analytical instruments. One of the items identified as a source material for a high-purity CRM is characterized for the uranium isotope-amount ratios using thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS). Additional verification measurements on this material using quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) are also performed. As a result, the comparison of the ICPMS uranium isotope-amount ratios with the TIMS data, with much smaller uncertainties, validated the ICPMS measurement practices. ICPMS is proposed for the initial screening of the purity of items in the rescue campaign.

Research Organization:
Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC09-08SR22470
OSTI ID:
1233734
Report Number(s):
SRNL-L4600-2015-00051; PII: S138738061500264X; TRN: US1600466
Journal Information:
International Journal of Mass Spectrometry, Vol. 389, Issue C; ISSN 1387-3806
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 8 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science