Rapid quantitation of uranium from mixed fission product samples

• Published in: Journal of radioanalytical and nuclear chemistry Vol. 307; no. 3; pp. 1737 - 1742
• Main Authors: Haney, Morgan M., Seiner, Brienne N., Finn, Erin C., Friese, Judah I.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.03.2016; Springer
• Subjects: Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Diagnostic Radiology; Hadrons; Heavy Ions; Inorganic Chemistry; Molybdenum; Nuclear Chemistry; Nuclear Physics; Physical Chemistry; Sales promotions; Uranium; Uranium-235; UTEVA; Rapid chemical separations; Gamma spectroscopy
• ISSN: 0236-5731; 1588-2780
• DOI: 10.1007/s10967-015-4617-0

Chemical similarities between uranium(VI) and molybdenum(VI) create challenges for separation and quantitation of uranium isotopes from a mixed fission product sample. The purpose of this work was to demonstrate an improved chemical separation for the detection of 235 U using gamma spectroscopy. The optimized method, which included extraction and anion exchange chromatography, demonstrated a consistent chemical yield of 74 ± 3 % for uranium. Using a fresh fission product sample the minimum detectable activity for 235 U, 237 U, and 238 U was reduced by a factor of two. The chemical isolation of uranium was achieved in less than 4 h, with a separation factor of 1.41 × 10 5 from molybdenum.