A comparative evaluation of ²³⁸Pu determination in NIST-SRM-947-Pu by alpha spectrometry and thermal ionization mass spectrometry

Abstract

238 Pu / Alpha spectrometry / Thermal ionization mass spectrometry / NIST-SRM-947 / Isotopic reference material Summary. A comparative evaluation of 238 Pu determination in NIST-SRM-947-Pu isotopic reference material by alpha spectrometry and thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) is presented. Electrodeposited sources with geometric progression (G.P.) method to account for tail contribution were used in alpha spectrometry. In TIMS, the recently developed approach of using 235 U as a monitor isotope in interfering element correction methodology was employed to account for the isobaric interference of 238 U at 238 Pu. The atom % abundance of 238 Pu determined by both the methods is in good agreement with each other but is higher than that quoted by NIST in the reference material SRM-947-Pu.

Determination of 241Pu/239Pu atom ratio in pressurised heavy water reactor (PHWR)-Pu samples using liquid scintillation counting

“…The Pu samples were purified from 241 Am by anion exchange resin in 1:1 (v/v) HNO 3 using anion exchange separation and purification procedures [5]. From each of the purified Pu samples, about 50 L of the solution containing about 100 ng of Pu, was taken in a glass scintillation vial.…”

Thermal ionisation mass spectrometry (TIMS) in nuclear science and technology – a review

“…69 The methodology was used to prepare and characterise the 238 Pu working reference materials which are not available to nuclear community throughout the world. 70,71 Recently, the same methodology has been used by a Group from Korea using 233 U as a monitor isotope to determine 238 Pu in Pu samples by TIMS. 72 In the case of U-Th ion source chemistry, it was observed that the presence of thorium oxide on the lament enhances the stability of UO + in TIMS.…”

Radiochemistry and radiopharmaceuticals

“…Thus technetium can be detected 274 by pulsed laser mass spectroscopy and plutonium-238 by thermal ionization mass spectroscopy, as well as by a-spectrometry. 275 More conventional radioanalytic techniques were, however, harnessed to determine trace radionuclide impurities in radiopharmaceuticals 276 and they proved superior 277 in the measurement of radioiodinated b-glucuronidase. Quality control of radiopharmaceuticals has been described for rhenium-186, 278 rhenium-188 279 and technetium-99 m 280 preparations.…”