Using Sr Resin with mixed acid matrices

Abstract

The quantification of radioactive material dispersed following the release of 90Sr, whether accidental or intentional, would be of high importance. Depending on the circumstances, it is possible that the contaminated materials would need to be completely digested prior to quantification. Many sample matrices require a mixture of different acids be employed to achieve total dissolution. Unfortunately, one the most common approaches for the separation of strontium, extraction chromatography with Sr Resin, has only been fully characterized in pure mineral acid solutions (Filosofov et al. in Solv Extr Ion Exch 33(5): 496–509, 2015; Horwitz et al. in Solv Extr Ion Exch 10(2): 313–336, 1992). This work shows that Sr Resin can be used effectively with high concentration mixtures of nitric and hydrochloric acids in the presence or absence of hydrofluoric acid, thereby potentially negating the need for conversion to a pure mineral acid matrix.