Limiting spectroscopic interferences of 239Pu and 237Np in a UO2 matrix using LA-ICP-MS

Authors

Keri Campbell, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow
A Unger, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow
W Kerlin, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow
T Hartmann, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow
J Bertoia, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
E Judge, Los Alamos National LaboratoryFollow
M Dirmyer, Los Alamos National LaboratoryFollow
K Czerwinski, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2016

Publication Title

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry

Volume

310

Issue

2

First page number:

533

Last page number:

540

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the spectral overlap for actinides and directly measure plutonium in uranium oxide and neptunium in uranium oxide matrix without an internal standard using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The system successfully measured 239Pu and 237Np with linear correlation coefficients (>0.99), relative standard deviations, limits of detections (0.026 and 0.111 wt% respectively) and percent biases reported. Each sample set was measured and analyzed within an hour which suggests a more rapid analytical technique than current methods used in nuclear safeguards to quantify plutonium and neptunium in a uranium matrix. © 2016, Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, Hungary.

Keywords

Laser ablation ICP-MS; Spectral overlap; Used nuclear fuel

Language

English

Repository Citation

Campbell, K., Unger, A., Kerlin, W., Hartmann, T., Bertoia, J., Judge, E., Dirmyer, M., Czerwinski, K. (2016). Limiting spectroscopic interferences of 239Pu and 237Np in a UO2 matrix using LA-ICP-MS. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 310(2), 533-540.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10967-016-4854-x