Determination of thorium and uranium isotopes in ores and mill tailings by alpha spectrometry
Procedures are presented for the determination of thorium-230 and isotopes of uranium in uranium ores and mill tailings, and of isotopes of thorium in thorium ores, all by alpha spectrometry. All samples are decomposed completely by fusion with potassium fluoride in platinum dishes. The cakes are then transposed with sulfuric acid and sodium sulfate to pyrosulfate fusions with simultaneous volatilization of hydrogen fluoride and silicon tetrafluoride. After dissolving the pyrosulfate cakes in dilute hydrochloric acid, thorium and uranium are extracted into Aliquat-336 from an aliquot of their respective samples in strong, acidic aluminum nitrate. Each element is then stripped from its respective extract, electrodeposited, and analyzed by alpha spectrometry. Thorium-230 is preconcentrated from relatively larger samples by precipitation on barium sulfate. Chemical yields are determined using thorium-234 and uranium-232 tracers and are generally at least 90 percent or higher.
- Research Organization:
- Health Services Lab., Idaho Falls, ID
- OSTI ID:
- 7321831
- Journal Information:
- Anal. Chem.; (United States), Journal Name: Anal. Chem.; (United States) Vol. 49:4; ISSN ANCHA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Determination of thorium, uranium and transuranium isotopes in siliceous and refractory materials by high-resolution alpha spectrometry
Determination of radium-226 by high-resolution alpha spectrometry
Related Subjects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
400103 -- Radiometric & Radiochemical Procedures-- (-1987)
400702 -- Radiochemistry & Nuclear Chemistry-- Properties of Radioactive Materials
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ACTINIDES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ALPHA SPECTROSCOPY
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL REACTION YIELD
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DEPOSITION
ELECTRODEPOSITION
ELECTROLYSIS
ELEMENTS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
EXTRACTION
HEAVY NUCLEI
INTERFERING ELEMENTS
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPE RATIO
ISOTOPES
LYSIS
METALS
MILL TAILINGS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEI
ORES
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RADIOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RADIOISOTOPES
SAMPLE PREPARATION
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLID WASTES
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
SPECTROSCOPY
SURFACE COATING
THORIUM
THORIUM 228
THORIUM 230
THORIUM 232
THORIUM 234
THORIUM ISOTOPES
THORIUM ORES
TRACER TECHNIQUES
URANIUM
URANIUM 232
URANIUM 234
URANIUM 235
URANIUM 238
URANIUM ISOTOPES
URANIUM ORES
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
YIELDS