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

Journal Article · Thu Aug 20 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · International Journal of Mass Spectrometry

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IJMS.2015.08.013· OSTI ID:1233734

Mathew, K. J. ^[1]; Canaan, R. D. ^[2]; Hexel, C. ^[2]; Giaquinto, J. ^[2]; Krichinsky, A. M. ^[2]

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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
• Journal Information: International Journal of Mass Spectrometry, Journal Name: International Journal of Mass Spectrometry Journal Issue: C Vol. 389; ISSN 1387-3806
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
certified reference materials
isotope dilution mass spectrometry
nuclear forensics
thermal ionization mass spectrometry