Flow Methods of Analysis as a New Approach to the Implementation of Chemical Analytical and Radiochemical Control in Nuclear Power Engineering

Abstract

General approaches to the automation of chemical analysis and radiochemical control in nuclear power engineering are discussed. For radioactive media with the highest specific activity, the necessity of the automation of the off-line control mode for minimizing the amount of the formed radioactive wastes is proved. Possibilities of the automation of the off-line analysis of primary coolants of nuclear power installations in the determination of chloride and sulfate ions are considered as an illustration. Based on a comparison with the results of analysis by ion chromatography, it is shown that the developed methods possess comparable analytical characteristics. A procedure for the determination of uranium using principles of cyclic injection analysis ensuring lower limits of detection in comparison with radiometric procedures is presented to illustrate possibilities of radiochemical analysis. The thesis about the advisability of transition to flow methods of analysis instead of batch methods used nowadays is substantiated.