Determination of 238Pu in plutonium bearing fuels by thermal ionization mass spectrometry

S. Aggarwal; D. Alamelu; P. Khodade; P. Shah

doi:10.1007/s10967-007-0947-x

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Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry

Volume/Issue:: Volume 273: Issue 3

Determination of ²³⁸Pu in plutonium bearing fuels by thermal ionization mass spectrometry

Authors:

S. Aggarwal

S. Aggarwal Bhabha Atomic Research Centre Fuel Chemistry Division Mumbai 400 085 India

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D. Alamelu

D. Alamelu Bhabha Atomic Research Centre Fuel Chemistry Division Mumbai 400 085 India

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P. Khodade

P. Khodade Bhabha Atomic Research Centre Fuel Chemistry Division Mumbai 400 085 India

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P. Shah

P. Shah Bhabha Atomic Research Centre Fuel Chemistry Division Mumbai 400 085 India

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Pages:: 775–778

Online Publication Date:: 17 Jun 2007

Publication Date:: 01 Sep 2007

Article Category:: Research Article

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-007-0947-x

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Abstract

Determination of ²³⁸Pu in plutonium bearing fuels is required as a part of the chemical quality assurance of nuclear fuels. In addition, the determination of ²³⁸Pu is required in nuclear technology for many other applications, e.g., for developing isotope correlations and while using ²³⁸Pu as a spike (tracer) in isotope dilution α-spectrometry (IDAS). This determination usually involves the use of α-spectrometry on purified Pu sample. In view of the random errors associated with the counting statistics and the systematic errors due to (1) in-growth of ²⁴¹Am in purified Pu sample and (2) tail contribution correction methodology in α-spectrometry, the precision and accuracy obtainable by α-spectrometry are limited. Thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) is generally used for the determination of different Pu isotopes other than ²³⁸Pu. This is due to the ubiquitous isobaric interference from ²³⁸U at ²³⁸Pu in TIMS. Recently, we have carried out studies on the formation of atomic and oxide ions of U and Pu by TIMS and developed a novel approach using interfering element correction methodology to account for the isobaric interference of ²³⁸U at ²³⁸Pu in TIMS. This methodology is based on the addition of ²³⁵U (enrichment >90 atom%) to Pu sample followed by the determination of ²³⁸U/²³⁵U atom ratio using UO⁺ ion and determination of Pu isotope ratios using Pu⁺ ion, from the same filament loading. The TIMS methodology was used for the determination of ²³⁸Pu in different Pu samples in U based nuclear fuels from PHWRs with ²³⁸Pu content about 0.2 atom%. The ²³⁸Pu determination was also carried out using α-spectrometry. This paper reports the results obtained by the two methods and presents the ments and shortcomings of the two approaches.

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Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry

Print ISSN:: 0236-5731

Online ISSN:: 1588-2780

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Journal of Radionalytical and Nuclear Chemistry
Language	English
Size	A4
Year of Foundation	1968
Volumes per Year	1
Issues per Year	12
Founder	Akadémiai Kiadó
Founder's Address	H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
Publisher	Akadémiai Kiadó Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Publisher's Address	H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245. CH-6330 Cham, Switzerland Gewerbestrasse 11.
Responsible Publisher	Chief Executive Officer, Akadémiai Kiadó
ISSN	0236-5731 (Print)
ISSN	1588-2780 (Online)