Separation of Lanthanide Isotopes from Mixed Fission Product Samples

Leah M Arrigo,Jun Jiang,James M Bowen,Staci M Herman,Judah I Friese,Larry R Greenwood,Zachary S Finch,Brienne N Seiner

doi:10.3390/separations8070104

Leah M Arrigo, Jun Jiang + Show 6 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/separations8070104

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Abstract

The measurement of radioactive fission products from nuclear events has important implications for nuclear data production, environmental monitoring, and nuclear forensics. In a previous paper, the authors reported the optimization of an intra-group lanthanide separation using LN extraction resin from Eichrom Technologies®, Inc. and a nitric acid gradient. In this work, the method was demonstrated for the separation and quantification of multiple short-lived fission product lanthanide isotopes from a fission product sample produced from the thermal irradiation of highly enriched uranium. The separations were performed in parallel in quadruplicate with reproducible results and high decontamination factors for 153Sm, 156Eu, and 161Tb. Based on the results obtained here, the fission yields for 144Ce, 153Sm, 156Eu, and 161Tb are consistent with published fission yields. This work demonstrates the effectiveness of the separations for the intended application of short-lived lanthanide fission product analysis requiring high decontamination factors.

Highlights

Solution as determined by gamma spectroscopy for the peak yield fission products 95 Zr, Zr, 99 Mo, 103 Ru, 140 Ba/La, 132 Te/I, 137 Cs, 141 Ce, 143 Ce, 144 Ce, and 147 Nd compared to the cumulative fission yields (CFY) for thermal irradiation of 235 U reported by England and
When the samples were loaded onto the UTEVA and TRU resins, an Fe(II) reductant was used to reduce Pu to Pu(III), which sorbs to the TRU resin along with other tri-valent actinides and rare earth elements (REEs)
Under the conditions of this experiment, the REEs are present in the +3 valence as determined during optimization studies where the yield of each REE was tracked following elution from the TRU and LN resins to determine the REEs were quantitatively eluted as expected for the +3 valence

Summary

Introduction

Either chemical separation or alternative detection methodologies are required, such is the case for the lanthanide, namely the rare earth elements (REEs), which are defined here as the lanthanides and yttrium

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Results

Conclusion