Innovative high-temperature ammonium bifluoride fusion and rapid analysis of elements with nuclear forensic value
Abstract
High-temperature ammonium bifluoride (ABF) fusions were evaluated for potential use in rapid dissolution of post-detonation nuclear debris. The ABF fusion was carried out in a Pt crucible which allowed evaluation of higher fusion and evaporation temperatures. The high-temperature ABF fusion dissolution method was evaluated using geological reference materials: USGS QLO-1a Quartz Latite, USGS SDC-1 Mica Schist, and NIST 278 Obsidian Rock. The optimized dissolution method involved a 10 min fusion at 540 °C, a 5 min reflux in 8 M HNO3, an evaporation at 300 °C and final dilution into 45 mL of 2% (v/v) HNO3. The final solution was filtered after heating at 105 °C using a hotblock. This dissolution method was simple, requiring only a hotplate or hotblock, filtered samples were available for ICP-MS analysis or radiochemical separation within 150 min, and was found to have high (>90%) recovery for many isotopes of interest in nuclear forensics applications. U and Pu in the dissolved material was separated using TEVA and UTEVA extraction chromatography columns, a process which resulted in >90% recovery. An irradiated U tracer was spiked into the material prior to dissolution and analyzed for recovery of major fission products and 239Np. The monitored radionuclides had recoveriesmore »
- Authors:
-
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia, MO (United States). Dept. of Chemistry
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia, MO (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; Univ. of Missouri, Columbia, MO (United States). Research Reactor
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia, MO (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE); National Science Foundation (NSF)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1850444
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1776238
- Grant/Contract Number:
- NE0000118; BSC-0922374
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Talanta
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 221; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0039-9140
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; Chemistry; Ammonium bifluoride fusion; Post-detonation nuclear forensic analysis
Citation Formats
Bradley, V. C., Weilert, T. M., and Brockman, J. D. Innovative high-temperature ammonium bifluoride fusion and rapid analysis of elements with nuclear forensic value. United States: N. p., 2020.
Web. doi:10.1016/j.talanta.2020.121622.
Bradley, V. C., Weilert, T. M., & Brockman, J. D. Innovative high-temperature ammonium bifluoride fusion and rapid analysis of elements with nuclear forensic value. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2020.121622
Bradley, V. C., Weilert, T. M., and Brockman, J. D. Sun .
"Innovative high-temperature ammonium bifluoride fusion and rapid analysis of elements with nuclear forensic value". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2020.121622. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1850444.
@article{osti_1850444,
title = {Innovative high-temperature ammonium bifluoride fusion and rapid analysis of elements with nuclear forensic value},
author = {Bradley, V. C. and Weilert, T. M. and Brockman, J. D.},
abstractNote = {High-temperature ammonium bifluoride (ABF) fusions were evaluated for potential use in rapid dissolution of post-detonation nuclear debris. The ABF fusion was carried out in a Pt crucible which allowed evaluation of higher fusion and evaporation temperatures. The high-temperature ABF fusion dissolution method was evaluated using geological reference materials: USGS QLO-1a Quartz Latite, USGS SDC-1 Mica Schist, and NIST 278 Obsidian Rock. The optimized dissolution method involved a 10 min fusion at 540 °C, a 5 min reflux in 8 M HNO3, an evaporation at 300 °C and final dilution into 45 mL of 2% (v/v) HNO3. The final solution was filtered after heating at 105 °C using a hotblock. This dissolution method was simple, requiring only a hotplate or hotblock, filtered samples were available for ICP-MS analysis or radiochemical separation within 150 min, and was found to have high (>90%) recovery for many isotopes of interest in nuclear forensics applications. U and Pu in the dissolved material was separated using TEVA and UTEVA extraction chromatography columns, a process which resulted in >90% recovery. An irradiated U tracer was spiked into the material prior to dissolution and analyzed for recovery of major fission products and 239Np. The monitored radionuclides had recoveries of greater than 90%, except for the volatile radioiodine isotopes.},
doi = {10.1016/j.talanta.2020.121622},
journal = {Talanta},
number = C,
volume = 221,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Sep 06 00:00:00 EDT 2020},
month = {Sun Sep 06 00:00:00 EDT 2020}
}
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