Analytical methods for fissionable material determinations in the nuclear fuel cycle. Progress report, October 1, 1976--September 30, 1977

Technical Report · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5266272· OSTI ID:5266272

Waterbury, G R ^[1]

---

1. comp.

Development of dissolution techniques for difficult-to-dissolve nuclear materials, development of methods and automated instruments for plutonium and uranium determinations, preparation of plutonium-containing materials for the Safeguards Analytical Laboratory Evaluation (SALE) program, analysis of SALE uranium materials, preparation of certified reference material plutonium metal, measurement of longer plutonium isotope half-lives, and study of ion exchange behavior of elements in various media continued. Gas-solid reaction of carbonyl chloride with uranium-bearing materials at elevated temperature is superior to reaction with chlorine for uranium volatilization and separation. Neither reaction with a variety of nonaqueous solvents nor reaction with molten selenium oxide provides practical dissolution of refractory materials characteristic of nuclear fuel cycle materials. The LASL automated spectrophotometer has been used to determine 0.1-mg amounts without instrumental or procedural changes. A microgram-sensitive spectrophotometric method for uranium has been developed, and the automated spectrophotometer is being modified to its use. A controlled-potential coulometric method has been developed for selective determination of plutonium. An automated analyzer to use this method is being built. Uranium-plutonium mixed oxide powder, for SALE samples, has not remained stable during storage, but high-density pellets have. In a DOE interlaboratory program, the half-life of /sup 239/Pu has been measured, experiments on /sup 241/Pu half-life measurement are in progress, and /sup 240/Pu half-life measurement is planned. Ion exchange distributions for over 50 elements have been measured to determine cation exchange in nitric acid and anion exchange in both hydrobromic and hydriodic acids.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos Scientific Lab., N.Mex. (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 5266272
• Report Number(s): LA-7013-PR
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

055001 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Safeguards
Inspection
& Accountability-- Technical Aspects
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400104* -- Spectral Procedures-- (-1987)
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ACTINIDES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
AUTOMATION
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
DISSOLUTION
ELEMENTS
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FISSIONABLE MATERIALS
FUEL CYCLE
HALF-LIFE
HEAVY NUCLEI
ION EXCHANGE MATERIALS
ISOTOPES
METALS
NUCLEI
PLUTONIUM
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIOISOTOPES
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SPECTROPHOTOMETRY
SPECTROSCOPY
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
URANIUM
VOLTAMETRY
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES