ISOTOPE DILUTION MASS SPECTROMETRIC ANALYSIS OF URANIUM

In a continuing effort to produce state of the art measurements within the DOE complex, this work investigated the feasibility of performing uranium isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) utilizing spike materials which contain high purity 235U or 238U to negate the need for use of 233U The technique, as developed and qualified, will allow laboratories to perform uranium IDMS measurements at all levels of enrichment, from depleted to highly enriched uranium materials without the necessity of handling a highly alpharadioactive 233U isotope. The IDMS method has demonstrated accuracy and precision levels of better than ± 0.25% relative standard deviation. As compared with conventional titrimetric methods for uranium analysis, this method results in a minimum two-fold reduction in waste generation and the elimination of a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) waste.