Simultaneous determination of americium and plutonium in plutonium nitrate solutions
A method for the simultaneous determination of americium and plutonium in reprocessing solutions using an automated on-line concentration monitor has been developed and evaluated. The quantitative assays for plutonium were based on the intensities of the characteristic gamma rays of /sup 238/Pu, /sup 239/Pu, /sup 240/Pu, and /sup 241/Pu in the 120 keV to 210 keV region of the solution spectra. The assay peaks for americium were the 59.5 keV and 125 keV lines of /sup 241/Am. The method is capable of measuring americium (1 to 1500 ppm) in plutonium (5 to 50 g/L) solutions with an accuracy better than + or -5% using the 59.5 keV peak of /sup 241/Am. The observed americium data were compared with those obtained by alpha spectrometry and the values derived from the calculated /sup 241/Am (125 keV)//sup 239/Pu (129 keV) ratios of the test solutions. An overall average deviation of 1% for /sup 239/Pu and 3% each for /sup 238/Pu, /sup 240/Pu, and /sup 241/Pu from the mass spectrometry data was noted for the isotopic distribution of plutonium. The elemental plutonium abundances compared very well with those measured by isotope dilution mass spectrometry and controlled-potential coulometry.
- Research Organization:
- Allied-General Nuclear Services, Barnwell, NC
- OSTI ID:
- 6877312
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-830709-; TRN: 84-019085
- Journal Information:
- Nucl. Mater. Manage.; (United States), Vol. 12; Conference: 24. annual meeting of the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management, Vail, CO, USA, 10 Jul 1983
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
AMERICIUM 241
ALPHA SPECTROSCOPY
GAMMA SPECTROSCOPY
PLUTONIUM 238
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM 240
PLUTONIUM 241
PLUTONIUM NITRATES
ISOTOPE RATIO
PROCESS SOLUTIONS
ON-LINE MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS
REPROCESSING
ALPHA SPECTRA
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
GAMMA SPECTRA
ISOTOPE DILUTION
KEV RANGE 10-100
KEV RANGE 100-1000
MASS SPECTRA
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
AMERICIUM ISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
DISPERSIONS
ENERGY RANGE
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
KEV RANGE
MIXTURES
NITRATES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ON-LINE SYSTEMS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIOISOTOPES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLUTIONS
SPECTRA
SPECTROSCOPY
TRACER TECHNIQUES
TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
400104* - Spectral Procedures- (-1987)
050800 - Nuclear Fuels- Spent Fuels Reprocessing