A direct-AMS multi-isotope survey of uranium ore concentrates

Zhao, Xiaolei; Francisco, Barbara Bruna A.; Kieser, W.E.; El-Jaby, Ali; Cochrane, Chris; Clark, Ian D.

doi:10.1016/j.nimb.2019.08.012

Cited by 13 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…In addition, L13 reported isotope ratios R 236/238 = 9.9 × 10 −12 , 200 × 10 −12 and 22 × 10 −12 in UCLO‐1, UCHI‐1 and UPER‐1, respectively, using AMS (Zhao et al . 2019). These values are rather low for natural samples yet not uncommon (Richter et al .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Certification of Uranium Isotope Amount Ratios in a Suite of Uranium Ore Concentrate Certified Reference Materials

Zhang

Nadeau

Gautier

et al. 2021

Geostandard Geoanalytic Res

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In this study, data from thirteen laboratories from around the world are presented for a successful certification of uranium isotope ratios in uranium ore concentrate (UOC) certified reference materials from the National Research Council Canada. Different mass spectrometric measurement principles (including SF‐ICP‐MS, quadruple ICP‐MS, TIMS, MC‐ICP‐MS, SIMS and AMS) and measurement procedures were employed. In general, data from all sources exhibit good consistency with TIMS and MC‐ICP‐MS showing superior performance. The three candidate UOC CRMs (UCLO‐1, UCHI‐1 and UPER‐1) have natural uranium isotope ratios with certified values of 0.5304(7) × 10−4, 0.5475(2) × 10−4 and 0.5361(4) × 10−4 for n(234U)/n(238U) and 0.007 2563(13), 0.007 2563(10) and 0.007 2542(11) for n(235U)/n(238U), respectively, with expanded uncertainty (k = 2) applicable to the last digit of the value given in the parentheses. Information values for n(236U)/n(238U) in these three CRMs, measured by AMS, are also provided: 10 × 10−12, 200 × 10−12 and 22 × 10−12. The uncertainties of the proposed certified values of uranium isotope ratios in UOC CRMs are superior to available reference materials, and the values of n(234U)/n(238U) and n(236U)/n(238U) show significant variation among the three CRMs.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Certification of Uranium Isotope Amount Ratios in a Suite of Uranium Ore Concentrate Certified Reference Materials

Zhang

Nadeau

Gautier

et al. 2021

Geostandard Geoanalytic Res

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“…Uranium isotopic composition is measured widely in nuclear materials for both quality control purposes across the nuclear fuel cycle and in the fields of nuclear safeguards, treaty verification, and nuclear forensic investigations. − Additionally, uranium isotope measurements are a central component to many geochronology, geochemistry, and environmental studies. − Frequently these applications require high precision measurements of both the major ( 235 U, 238 U) and minor ( 233 U, 234 U, 236 U) isotopes. Several different analytical techniques are regularly utilized to measure uranium isotope compositions including; gamma spectrometry, , inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), , accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) , and thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) . The broad utility of uranium isotopic composition data has created a demand to measure isotopic ratios with increasing precision for small sample sizes while maintaining or increasing sample throughput.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Application of ATONA Amplifiers to the Measurement of Uranium Isotopic Ratios by Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Reinhard,

Inglis,

Singleton

et al. 2024

Anal. Chem.

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Uranium isotopic composition can provide valuable information about the history and provenance of a nuclear material; therefore, uranium isotopic analyses are frequently made in the nuclear forensics, safeguards, and environmental monitoring communities. These measurements have always presented challenges due to the extreme variability in the relative abundance between the major ( 235 U, 238 U) and minor ( 233 U, 234 U, 236 U) isotopes of uranium. The recently developed ATONA (Atto-to Nano-Amp) amplification system paired with Faraday cup detectors has a large dynamic range and low noise floor making it ideal for measuring uranium isotopic ratios in materials of both natural and anthropogenic origin. A wide variety of certified reference materials were analyzed to investigate the utility of the ATONA amplification system for determining uranium isotopic composition in samples ranging from depleted to highly enriched. The ATONA amplifiers provide nearly an order of magnitude improvement in external reproducibility over 10 11 Ω amplifiers when measuring the minor 234 U/ 238 U ratio in isotopically natural and depleted samples and when paired with a secondary electron multiplier can measure very low relative abundance uranium isotopes (i.e., 236 U).

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“…The determination of isotope ratios of individual uranium particles is one of the important techniques for International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to strengthen nuclear safeguards system 1–3 . Among the developed techniques, mass spectrometry is usually applied mainly including fission track‐thermal ionization mass spectrometry (FT‐TIMS), 4–8 secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), 9–14 inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS), 15–19 scanning electron microscope combined with TIMS (SEM‐TIMS), 20–22 and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), 23–26 in which FT‐TIMS and SIMS are conventionally used methods. FT‐TIMS can measure the isotope ratios of micrometer‐size uranium particles precisely, which is widely recognized.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of AMS, TIMS, and SIMS techniques for determining uranium isotope ratios in individual particles

Gao

Yan

et al. 2023

J Mass Spectrom

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The determination of isotope ratios in individual uranium particles is very important for nuclear safeguards. In this work, accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS), and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) were applied to isotope ratio analysis of individual uranium particles and compared in terms of background, measurement accuracy, and efficiency. Several individual uranium particles (1-7 μm) from certified reference materials were used as samples. The results show that the average values of blank counting rate of 235 U for AMS, FT-TIMS (FT: fission track), SEM-TIMS (SEM: scanning electron microscope),

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A direct-AMS multi-isotope survey of uranium ore concentrates

Cited by 13 publications

References 22 publications

Certification of Uranium Isotope Amount Ratios in a Suite of Uranium Ore Concentrate Certified Reference Materials

Certification of Uranium Isotope Amount Ratios in a Suite of Uranium Ore Concentrate Certified Reference Materials

Application of ATONA Amplifiers to the Measurement of Uranium Isotopic Ratios by Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Comparison of AMS, TIMS, and SIMS techniques for determining uranium isotope ratios in individual particles

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