Award Date

5-1-2014

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Radiochemistry

First Committee Member

Ralf Sudowe

Second Committee Member

Kenneth Czerwinski

Third Committee Member

Gary Cerefice

Fourth Committee Member

Evelyn Bond

Fifth Committee Member

William Culbreth

Number of Pages

285

Abstract

In this work, extraction chromatography resins, DGA and UTEVA, were characterized under various conditions in order to identify novel rapid separations for safeguards and nuclear forensic purposes. For safeguards purposes, mixed matrices containing some of the largest components found in used fuel and either Am, Pu, or U were characterized on DGA and UTEVA resins in order to determine any effects from the addition of these constituents. Results indicated that 5 M HNO3 would be an optimal loading condition due to the consistent actinide adsorption in the presence of the additional used fuel components. Investigations of varying the anion in the system were also performed. Trends were seen based on charge density and hydration energies. The trends of actinide adsorption in various reducing agents were studied. A novel separation scheme was determined and applied to a vacuum box.

For nuclear forensic based separations, DGA and UTEVA were characterized with some of the most common metals found in soil. Overall, the resins were still selective with samples of complex matrices. A separation of a glass/cement bead was performed and separation of some of the analytes was achieved.

Keywords

Actinide elements—Separation; Chemistry; Forensic; Extraction (Chemistry); Nuclear chemistry; Radiation chemistry; Radiochemistry

Disciplines

Radiochemistry

File Format

pdf

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Download


Share

COinS