Partitioning of krypton-85 in liquid scintillation cocktail

Technical Report · Thu Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1994

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/10116930· OSTI ID:10116930

Hohorst, F A; Sherlock, M A

Krypton is one of the noble gases. As such, it forms compounds only with exceptionally strong oxidizing agents. The concentration of krypton in air is 1.139 parts per million by volume. In general, its behavior is best described as that of an ideal gas. Krypton-85 is the longest lived of the common radioactive noble gases with a half life of 10.72 years. Gamma radiation at 513.990 keV has an intensity of only 0.434%. Most decay is {beta}{sup -} emission with a maximum energy of 687.0 keV and an average energy of 251.4 keV. The analytical chemistry of krypton-85 is driven by these factors. High concentrations may be gamma counted directly. Low levels are typically determined by more sensitive techniques such as liquid scintillation counting (LSC) where detection limits on the order of 1 picocurie (pCi) are routinely achieved. For a 5 standard cubic centimeter (scc) sample, this represents a concentration of 0.2 pCi/scc, well below the DOE Air Immersion Derived Concentration Guideline (G) of 3 pCi/scc. As a gas, krypton in a sealed LSC vial distributes itself between the liquid phase and the gas phase. Some past work has used gamma counting at levels many orders of magnitude greater than those now achievable by LSC to study the distribution of krypton. This effect is of interest in the analytical chemistry of krypton-85 because geometrical considerations influence how much of the material in the gas phase decays generating particles which then impact the liquid phase where they may be counted.

• Research Organization: Lockheed Idaho Technologies Co., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-94ID13223
• OSTI ID: 10116930
• Report Number(s): INEL--94/0266; ON: DE95005404
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400105
CARBONATES
KRYPTON 85
LIQUID SCINTILLATORS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
SEPARATION PROCEDURES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLUBILITY