X-ray fluorescence spectrographic determination of zirconium and molybdenum in the presence of uranium

Conference · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1961

OSTI ID:4032031

Hakkila, E. A.; Hurley, R. G.; Waterbury, G. R.

Zirconium and molybdenum in uranium-zirconium-molybdenum carbide are determined without chemical separation using an x-ray fluorescence spectrographic procedure. The mixed carbide is dissolved in nitrichydrofluoric acid, niobium is added to serve as an internal standard, and the solution is irradiated using a tungsten-target x-ray tube. The ratios of the intensities of the Ka lines for zirconium and niobium and of the KB lines for molybdenum and niobium are measured. Corrections, which were found to be a linear function of uranium concentration in the.range between 30 and 100 percent of uranium, are applied to each intensity ratio. The procedure is applicable to the determination of 5 to 50 percent each of zirconium and molybdenum with a relative standard deviation of 1 to 2 percent. Foreign elements of high mass absorption coefficient interfere when present in concentrations greater than approximately 10 percent for the determination of molybdenum, or 20 percent for the determination of zirconium.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• NSA Number: NSA-18-035449
• OSTI ID: 4032031
• Report Number(s): LADC--5830; CONF-285--8
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ABSORPTION
CHEMISTRY
ERRORS
FLUORESCENCE
HYDROCHLORIC ACID
HYDROFLUORIC ACID
IRRADIATION
MIXING
MOLYBDENUM CARBIDES
NIOBIUM
NITRIC ACID
PHOTOMETRY
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS
RADIATION SOURCES
SOLUTIONS
SPECTRA
SPECTROSCOPY
TARGETS
TUBES
TUNGSTEN
URANIUM
URANIUM CARBIDES
X RADIATION
ZIRCONIUM
ZIRCONIUM CARBIDES