Determination of radium-226 by high-resolution alpha spectrometry

Conference · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:5615503

Sill, C W

Condition were determined under which high resolution and accurate and reliable results can be obtained. Refractory solids are dissolved completely by fusion with KF and Ba-133 tracer. The fluoride cake is then transposed with sulfuric acid to a pyrosulfate fusion. Radium is precipitated with barium by addition of lead perchlorate to a dilute HCl solution of the pyrosulfate cake. The resulting insoluble sulfates are dissolved in an alkaline solution of DTPA and the Ra and Ba sulfates are reprecipitated with acetic acid to produce very small crystals. The precipitate is mounted on 0.1-..mu..m membrane filter and analyzed by alpha spectrometry. Water samples are partially evaporated and treated similarly. Resolution, almost as good as with actinides electrodeposited on polished steel plates, is about 60 keV full-width-half-maximum with 100 ..mu..g of barium on a 1-inch filter with a 450 mm/sup 2/ detector at 20% counting efficiency. Recovery is about 97%. One solid sample can be prepared for counting in less than 2 hours. Methods are discussed for ensuring reliability of the results. Severe contamination of the surface-barrier detector by polonium-210 and recoil products is discussed.

• Research Organization: EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-76ID01570
• OSTI ID: 5615503
• Report Number(s): EGG-M-15283; CONF-8310157-2; ON: DE84002894
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400103* -- Radiometric & Radiochemical Procedures-- (-1987)
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ALPHA SPECTRA
ALPHA SPECTROSCOPY
BARIUM 133
BARIUM COMPOUNDS
BARIUM ISOTOPES
BARIUM SULFATES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CONTAMINATION
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DISSOLUTION
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLONIUM 210
POLONIUM ISOTOPES
PRECIPITATION
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIUM 226
RADIUM ISOTOPES
RELIABILITY
RESOLUTION
SAMPLE PREPARATION
SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPECTRA
SPECTROSCOPY
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SURFACE BARRIER DETECTORS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES