Detection of uranyl fluoride and sand surface contamination on metal substrates by hand-held laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Abstract

A hand-held device for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy has been investigated for the determination of uranyl fluoride surface contamination. This research demonstrates the ability to successfully detect uranium on surfaces when using a low resolving power (λ/Δλ=4000) spectrograph, with a 5 mJ energy per 1 ns pulsed laser radiation, available as a commercially packaged hand-held system. Sand/uranyl fluoride mixtures are prepared to simulate residue likely encountered during decontamination efforts at facilities that handle uranium hexafluoride. Detection limits are described for four uranium lines with one revealing the capability to detect uranium at a level of 250 parts per million. Advantages of the studied compact device include that location specific information can be obtained on-site to augment contamination identification.