THE DETERMINATION OF PLUTONIUM IN IRRADIATED URANIUM FUEL SOLUTIONS BY CONTROLLED POTENTIAL COULOMETRY
Controlled potential coulometry was applied to the determination of plutonium solution concentrations in the range 0.05 to 50 grams per liter. Electronic equipment, titration cells and procedures are described. The procedures are simple enough, and the equipment dependable enough for routine control laboratory application. The method has been applied to solutions containing approximately 20 grams per liter plutonium with a standard deviation of plus or minus 0.05% and with an accuracy of better than 0.1%. The method has also been applied to the direct estimation of the plutonium content of solutions of irradiated natural uranium (dissolver solutions) with a standard deviation of plus or minus 0.5% and an accuracy of at least l.4%. The titration curves follow the Nernst equation exactly for ions which undergo reversible electrode reactions. Therefore, if the concentration and half-wave potential of an interfering material are known a theoretical estimation of the magnitude of the interference can be readily made. The method is remarkably free from interferences. Moderate variations in the acid, and salt content of the sample can be tolerated. There are few reversibly titratable ions which have standard electrode potentials near enough ( sintering time 200 mv) that of thc plutonium(N)-plutonium(III) couple to make them a serious interference. The redox potentials of these substances, such as iron and mercury, can usually be shifted far enough from that of plutonium to eliminate interference by performing the titration in the proper complexing medium. Several such media have been investigated and are compared. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- General Electric Co. Hanford Atomic Products Operation, Richland, Washington
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31-109-ENG-52
- NSA Number:
- NSA-13-013219
- OSTI ID:
- 4254039
- Report Number(s):
- HW-58491
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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