Chemical and Isotopic Characterization of Noble Metal Phase from Commercial UO₂ Fuel

Journal Article · Thu Apr 25 00:00:00 EDT 2019 · Analytical Chemistry

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.8b05549· OSTI ID:1543302

Pellegrini, Kristi L. ^[1]; Soderquist, Chuck Z. ^[2]; Shen, Steve D. ^[2]; Krogstad, Eirik J. ^[2]; Palmer, Camille J. ^[3]; Gerez, Kyzer R. ^[3]; Buck, Edgar C.  ^[2]; Lach, Timothy G.  ^[2]; Schwantes, Jon M.  ^[2]; Clark, Richard A.  ^[2]

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1. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); IB3 Global Solutions, Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
2. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
3. Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States)

We report elemental and isotopic analysis for the noble metal fission product phase found in irradiated nuclear fuel. The noble metal phase was isolated from three commercial irradiated UO₂ fuels by chemically dissolving the UO₂ fuel matrix, leaving the noble metal phase as the undissolved residue. Macro amounts of this residue were dissolved using a KOH+KNO₃ fusion and then chemically separated into individual elements for analysis by mass spectrometry. Though the composition of this phase has been previously reported, this work is the most comprehensive chemical analysis of the isolated noble metal phase to date. We report both elemental and isotopic abundances of the five major components of the noble metal phase (Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Pd). Additionally, we report a sixth element present in high quantities in this phase, tellurium. Tellurium appears to be an integral component of noble metal particles.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• Grant/Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 1543302
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-138098
• Journal Information: Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 91, Issue 10; ISSN 0003-2700
• Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY