Analytical methods for fissionable material determinations in the nuclear fuel cycle. Progress report, October 1, 1977--September 30, 1978

Abstract

Work has continued on the development of dissolution techniques for difficult-to-dissolve nuclear materials, development of methods and automated instruments for plutonium and uranium determinations, preparation of plutonium-containing materials for the Safeguards Analytical Laboratory Evaluation (SALE) program, preparation of plutonium materials for distribution by the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) as standard reference materials (SRMs), measurement of longer plutonium isotope half-lives, and analysis of SALE uranium materials. New tasks include the development of methods and automated instruments for the determination of thorium and uranium, and an evaluation of the ion-exchange-bead technique for the mass spectrometric measurement of uranium and plutonium isotope distributions. Completed tasks include the measurements of ion exchange distributions of over 50 elements on cation exchange resins from nitric acid media and anion exchange resins from hydrobromic and hydriodic acid media. Using a newly developed procedure, the LASL automated spectrophotometer was modified to determine microgram levels of uranium and to determine milligram levels of uranium and plutonium. Construction of an automated controlled-potential analyzer for the determination of plutonium is nearing completion. Apparatus and procedures for the separation and complexometric titration of thorium and uranium are being developed.