A method to quantify the 37Ar emanation fraction in powders and rocks

Johnson, Christine; Prinke, Amanda; Lowrey, Justin D.; Humble, Paul; Mace, Emily; Alexander, Thomas; Riley, Brian J.; Williams, Richard

doi:10.1007/s10967-018-6024-9

Title: A method to quantify the 37Ar emanation fraction in powders and rocks

Journal Article · Thu Jul 26 00:00:00 EDT 2018 · Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-018-6024-9· OSTI ID:1485421

; Prinke, Amanda; Lowrey, Justin D.; Humble, Paul; Mace, Emily; Alexander, Thomas; Riley, Brian J.; Williams, Richard

A system was developed to quantify the emanation fraction from samples ranging in size from powder to small rocks. Various rock types were crushed and sieved to various grades before being encapsulated in quartz ampoules. The samples were then irradiated at the Device Assembly Facility at the Nevada National Security Site before being returned to PNNL where the argon gas, produced via neutron activation of calcium, was extracted on a custom apparatus and cryogenically trapped. The extracted gas was then processed to separate the argon and load it into a proportional counter for counting. The emanation fraction of argon gas was then calculated by comparing the measured and predicted activities.

Cite

Export

Save

Research Organization:: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

DOE Contract Number:: AC05-76RL01830

OSTI ID:: 1485421

Report Number(s):: PNNL-SA-133389

Journal Information:: Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Vol. 318, Issue 1; ISSN 0236-5731

Publisher:: Springer

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (12)

A comprehensive review of radon emanation measurements for mineral, rock, soil, mill tailing and fly ash Sakoda, Akihiro; Ishimori, Yuu; Yamaoka, Kiyonori Applied Radiation and Isotopes, Vol. 69, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2011.06.009	journal	October 2011
Cosmic-ray induced production of radioactive noble gases in the atmosphere, ground, and seawater Wilson, William H.; Johnson, Christine M.; Lowrey, Justin D. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Vol. 305, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-015-4181-7	journal	May 2015
Development of a low-level 39Ar calibration standard – Analysis by absolute gas counting measurements augmented with simulation Williams, R. M.; Aalseth, C. E.; Brandenberger, J. M. Applied Radiation and Isotopes, Vol. 126 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2017.02.018	journal	August 2017
Measurements of Argon-39 at the U20az underground nuclear explosion site McIntyre, J. I.; Aalseth, C. E.; Alexander, T. R. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, Vol. 178-179 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2017.07.013	journal	November 2017
Natural ³⁷ Ar Concentrations in Soil Air: Implications for Monitoring Underground Nuclear Explosions Riedmann, Robin A.; Purtschert, Roland Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 45, Issue 20 https://doi.org/10.1021/es201192u	journal	October 2011
Shielding concepts for low-background proportional counter arrays in surface laboratories Aalseth, C. E.; Humble, P. H.; Mace, E. K. Applied Radiation and Isotopes, Vol. 108 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2015.12.033	journal	February 2016
The design, construction, and initial characterization of an ultra-low-background gas-proportional counting system Seifert, A.; Aalseth, C. E.; Day, A. R. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Vol. 296, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-012-2059-5	journal	August 2012
Underground production of radionuclides in the Milk River aquifer, Alberta, Canada Andrews, J. N.; Florkowski, T.; Lehmann, B. E. Applied Geochemistry, Vol. 6, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1016/0883-2927(91)90042-N	journal	January 1991
Design and construction of a low-background, internal-source proportional counter Aalseth, Craig E.; Day, Anthony R.; Hoppe, Eric W. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Vol. 282, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-009-0258-5	journal	July 2009
Alteration of natural 37Ar activity concentration in the subsurface by gas transport and water infiltration Guillon, Sophie; Sun, Yunwei; Purtschert, Roland Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, Vol. 155-156 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2016.02.021	journal	May 2016
Radon transport from soil to air Nazaroff, William W. Reviews of Geophysics, Vol. 30, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1029/92RG00055	journal	January 1992
Examination of radioargon production by cosmic neutron interactions Johnson, Christine; Armstrong, Hirotatsu; Wilson, William H. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, Vol. 140 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2014.10.016	journal	February 2015

Similar Records

A method to quantify the 37Ar emanation fraction in powders and rocks

Journal Article · Thu Jul 26 00:00:00 EDT 2018 · Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry · OSTI ID:1485421

Johnson, Christine; Prinke, Amanda; Lowrey, Justin D.; +5 more

Measurements of the emanation of 37Ar and 39Ar from irradiated rocks and powders

Journal Article · Mon Aug 02 00:00:00 EDT 2021 · Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry · OSTI ID:1485421

Johnson, Christine M.; Lowrey, Justin D.; Alexander, Thomas R.; +2 more

Measurements of emanation of Ar-37 and Ar-39 from irradiated rocks and powders

Technical Report · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2021 · OSTI ID:1485421

Johnson, Christine M.; Lowrey, Justin D.; Alexander, Thomas R.; +2 more

Related Subjects

37Ar
Emanation coefficient
Neutron activation
Radioargon
Gas processing

Title: A method to quantify the 37Ar emanation fraction in powders and rocks

Citation Formats

References (12)

Similar Records

Related Subjects