Ultratrace analysis of transuranic actinides by laser-induced fluorescence
A method for detecting ultratrace quantities of weakly or non-fluorescing transuranic actinides in water, is described comprising the steps of: (a) coprecipitating an actinide in a water sample with host precursor materials to form a precipitate, the precipitate comprising a preselected host material which includes at least one fluorescent component species having a near resonant energy level with the actinide and whose fluorescence is quenched or sensitized by the actinide; (b) illuminating the precipitate with laser light of a preselected wavelength, the wavelength being selected in the case of sensitizing by the actinide to excite the actinide to a level above and sufficiently close to the near resonant energy level of the at least one fluorescent component species to cause substantial nonradiative decay from the actinide to the near resonant energy level; (c) measuring a difference in intensity between the fluorescence of the at least one fluorescent component species which has been quenched or sensitized by the actinide from the sample and the fluorescence of the at least one fluorescent component species in at least one standard, the at least one standard having been prepared with a known concentration of the actinide; and (d) determining the concentration of the actinide in the sample by relating the difference in the fluorescence intensity to quantitative differences between the concentration of the actinide in the sample and the concentrations of the actinide in the at least one standard.
- Assignee:
- Dept. of Energy, Washington, DC
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4724217
- OSTI ID:
- 5325723
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
400102* -- Chemical & Spectral Procedures
ACTINIDES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMISTRY
COPRECIPITATION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
FLUORESCENCE
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ILLUMINANCE
LASER RADIATION
LUMINESCENCE
MEASURING METHODS
METALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PRECIPITATION
PRECURSOR
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RADIATIONS
SAMPLING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
TRACE AMOUNTS
TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS
WATER
WATER CHEMISTRY