An Automated SeaFAST ICP-DRC-MS Method for the Determination of Sr in Spent Nuclear Fuel Leachates.

To reduce uncertainties in determining the source term and evolving condition of spent nuclear fuel is fundamental to the safety assessment. ß-emitting nuclides pose a challenging task for reliable, quantitative determination because both radiometric and mass spectrometric methodologies require prior chemical purification for the removal of interfering activity and isobars, respectively. A method for the determination of Sr at trace levels in nuclear spent fuel leachate samples without sophisticated and time-consuming procedures has been established.

Automated 90Sr Separation and Preconcentration in a Lab-on-Valve System at Ppq Level.

A quick, automated and portable system for the separation and determination of radiostrontium in aqueous samples, using Sr-resin and multi sequential flow injection analysis, has been developed. The concentrations of radioactive strontium were determined by flow scintillation counting, allowing for on-line and also on-site determination. The proposed system can determine radioactive strontium at industrial relevant levels without further modification using overall analysis time of less than 10 min per aqueous sample.

A LabVIEW-based software for the control of the AUTORAD platform: a fully automated multisequential flow injection analysis Lab-on-Valve (MSFIA-LOV) system for radiochemical analysis.

A LabVIEW-based software for the control of the fully automated multi-sequential flow injection analysis Lab-on-Valve (MSFIA-LOV) platform AutoRAD performing radiochemical analysis is described. The analytical platform interfaces an Arduino-based device triggering multiple detectors providing a flexible and fit for purpose choice of detection systems. The different analytical devices are interfaced to the PC running LabVIEWVI software using USB and RS232 interfaces, both for sending commands and receiving confirmation or error responses.

Application of lead and strontium isotope ratio measurements for the origin assessment of uranium ore concentrates.

Lead and strontium isotope ratios were used for the origin assessment of uranium ore concentrates (yellow cakes) for nuclear forensic purposes. A simple and low-background sample preparation method was developed for the simultaneous separation of the analytes followed by the measurement of the isotope ratios by multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICPMS). The lead isotopic composition of the ore concentrates suggests applicability for the verification of the source of the nuclear material and by the use of the radiogenic (207)Pb/(206)Pb ratio the age of the raw ore material can be calculated.