Development of ammonium bifluoride fusion method for rapid dissolution of trinitite samples and analysis by ICP-MS

Abstract

Field deployable dissolution techniques are needed to decrease response time following a nuclear event. This study tested the capability of NH4HF2 fusion to dissolve trinitite. Dissolution of trinitite by NH4HF2 fusion was compared to conventional microwave digestion. Following digestion, trace elements were measured using ICP-MS. This work demonstrates that low temperature fusion with NH4HF2 is capable of dissolving trinitite samples. The low purity of the NH4HF2 resulted in a higher limit of detection for several elements when compared to microwave digestion with high purity acids.