• Title/Summary/Keyword: Pu and Am isotopes

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A Study of Simple α Source Preparation Using a Micro-coprecipitation Method

  • Lee, Myung Ho;Park, Tae-Hong;Song, Byung Chul;Park, Jong Ho;Song, Kyuseok
    • Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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    • v.33 no.11
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    • pp.3745-3748
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    • 2012
  • This study presents a rapid and simple ${\alpha}$ source preparation method for a radioactive waste sample. The recovery of $^{239}Pu$, $^{232}U$ and $^{243}Am$ using a micro-coprecipitation method was over 95%. The ${\alpha}$-peak resolution of Pu and Am isotopes through the micro-coprecipitation method is enough to discriminate the Pu and Am isotopes from other Pu and Am isotopes. The determination of the Pu and Am isotopes using the micro-coprecipitation method was applied to the radioactive waste sample, so that the activity concentrations of the Pu and Am isotopes using the micro-coprecipitation method in the radioactive waste sample were similar to those using the electrodeposition method.

Investigation of sequential separation method for $^{90}Sr,\;^{241}Am,\;^{239,240}Pu$ and $^{238}Pu$ isotopes ($^{90}Sr,\;^{241}Am,\;^{239,240}Pu$$^{238}Pu$ 동위원소들을 분리하기위한 축차분리법에 대한 고찰)

  • Lee Myung-Ho;Song Byoung-Chul;Park Young-Jai;Gee Kwang-Young;Kim Wein-Ho
    • Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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    • 2005.06a
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    • pp.248-254
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    • 2005
  • This paper presents a quantitative method of sequential separation of $^{90}Sr,\;^{241}Am$ and Pu nuclides with an anion exchange resin and a Sr-Spec resin. The Pu isotopes were purified with an anion exchange resin. The americium and strontium fractions were separated from the matrix elements with an oxalate co-precipitation method. Americium fraction was separated from the strontium fraction with iron co-precipitation method and purified from lanthanides with anion exchange resin. Strontium-90 was purified from other hindrance elements with the Sr-Spec resin after oxalate co-precipitation. The measurement of Pu and Am isotopes was carried out by an ${\alpha}$-spectrometer. Strontium-90 was measured by a liquid scintillation counter. The radiochemical procedure of $^{90}Sr,\;^{241}Am$ and Pu nuclides investigated in this study has been validated by application to IAEA-Reference soils.

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Sequential separation of 90Sr, 241Am, 239,240Pu and 238Pu by radioanalytical techniques (방사능 분석기술을 이용한 90Sr, 239,240Pu, 238Pu, 241Am 축차분리)

  • Lee, Myung Ho;Park, Kyoung Kyun;Kim, Jong-Yun;Park, Yeong Jae;Kim, Won Ho
    • Analytical Science and Technology
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    • v.18 no.6
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    • pp.469-474
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    • 2005
  • This paper presents a quantitative method of sequential separation of $^{90}Sr$, $^{241}Am$ and Pu radionuclides with an anion exchange resin and a Sr-Spec resin. The Pu isotopes were purified with an anion exchange resin. The americium and strontium fractions were separated from the matrix elements with an oxalate co-precipitation method. Americium fraction was separated from the strontium fraction with iron co-precipitation method and purified from lanthanides with anion exchange resin. Strontium-90 was purified from other hindrance elements with the Sr-Spec resin after oxalate co-precipitation. The measurement of Pu and Am isotopes was carried out by an ${\alpha}$-spectrometer. Strontium-90 was measured by a liquid scintillation counter. The radiochemical procedure of $^{90}Sr$, $^{241}Am$ and Pu radionuclides investigated in this study has been validated by application to IAEA-Reference soils.

A Study on the Measurement of Activity Concentrations of Pu and Am and Their Isotopic Ratios in the Radioactively Contaminated Soil (방사능으로 오염된 토양에 대한 Pu 및 Am 방사능 농도 및 동위원소비 측정에 대한 연구)

  • Lee, Myung Ho;Song, Byoung Chul;Park, Young Jai;Kim, Won Ho
    • Analytical Science and Technology
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    • v.17 no.6
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    • pp.514-519
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    • 2004
  • Soil samples collected from around the BOMARC Missile Site were measured for their activity concentrations and isotopic ratios of Pu and Am isotopes with particle sizes. The activity concentrations of Pu and Am in the BOMARC soil were remarkably higher than the fallout levels, and the activities decreased nearly exponentially with an increasing particle size of the soil due to a decreasing surface area. The activity ratios of Pu-238 / Pu-239, 240, Pu-241 / Pu-239, 240 and Am-241 / Pu-239, 240 observed in the BOMARC soil were much lower than those attributed to the nuclear reprocess plants and the Chernobyl fallout. Also, the atomic ratio of Pu-240 / Pu-239 in the BOMARC soil was remarkably lower than the fallout value influenced by the nuclear weapons testing and the Chernobyl accident. The atomic ratio of Pu-240 / Pu-239 was so close to the value of the weapons grade Pu released from the crash of a B52 plane in the Thule of the Greenland, such that the Pu isotopes detected in the BOMARC soil could have originated from the weapons grade plutonium.

Accurate determination of minor isotope ratios in individual plutonium-uranium mixed particles by thermal ionization mass spectrometry

  • Lee, Chi-Gyu;Park, Jinkyu;Lim, Sang Ho
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.50 no.1
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    • pp.140-144
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    • 2018
  • Isotopic analyses of plutonium and low-enriched uranium mixtures with particle sizes of $0.6-3.3{\mu}m$ were performed using thermal ionization mass spectrometry with a continuous heating method to verify its effectiveness for the accurate analysis of minor isotopes without sample pretreatment. The mixed particles used in this study were prepared from a mixed solution of plutonium (SRM 947) and uranium (U010, $^{235}U$ 1% enriched) reference materials. The isotope ratios for plutonium in the individual mixed particles, including $^{238}Pu/^{239}Pu$, $^{241}Pu/^{239}Pu$ as well as $^{240}Pu/^{239}Pu$, and $^{242}Pu/^{239}Pu$, were in good agreement with the certified values despite the isobaric interference of $^{238}U$ and $^{241}Am$. The isotope ratios for uranium in the mixed particles also agreed well with the certified values within the range of error. However, the isotope ratios for minor isotopes, such as $^{234}U$ and $^{236}U$, in the particles with diameters of less than approximately $1.8{\mu}m$ could not be measured because numbers of $^{234}U$ and $^{236}U$ atoms in analyzed particles are too low. These results indicate that thermal ionization mass spectrometry with a continuous heating method is applicable for the analysis of trace amounts of plutonium isotopes, including $^{238}Pu$ and $^{241}Pu$, despite the presence of the respective isobars $^{238}U$ and $^{241}Am$ in the microsamples.

Sequential determination of $^{239,240}Pu,\;^{238}Pu,\;^{90}Sr$ and $^{241}Am$ Isotopes in Environmental Samples

  • Lee, Myung-Ho;Jo, Mi-Hyun;Park, Jong-Ho;Ahn, Hong-Joo;Lee, Chang-Heon;Song, Kyu-Seok
    • Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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    • 2009.11a
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    • pp.407-408
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    • 2009
  • In this work, a quantitative method of the sequential separation of $^{90}Pu,\;^{90}Sr$ and $^{241}Am$ nuclides was developed in environmental soil samples using by an anion exchange resin connected with a Sr Spec resin. The sequential methods of Pu, $^{90}Sr$ and $^{241}Am$ nuclides can reduce analysis cost and time. With the sequential methodupdated in this study, the activity concentrations of $^{239,240}Pu,\;^{90}Sr$ and $^{241}Am$ in the IAEA reference materials were close to the reference values reported by the IAEA.

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DETERMINATION OF THE TRANSURANIC ELEMENTS INVENTORY IN HIGH BURNUP PWR SPENT FUEL SAMPLES BY ALPHA SPECTROMETRY

  • Joe, Kih-Soo;Song, Byung-Chul;Kim, Young-Bok;Han, Sun-Ho;Jeon, Young-Shin;Jung, Euo-Chang;Jee, Kwang-Yong
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.39 no.5
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    • pp.673-682
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    • 2007
  • The contents of transuranic elements in high-burnup spent fuel samples were determined. The activity amounts of $^{238}Pu,\;^{239}Pu,\;^{240}Pu,\;^{241}Am,\;^{244}Cm\;and\;^{242}Cm$ were measured by alpha spectrometry using $^{242}Pu\;and\;^{243}Am$ as tracers, respectively. A spike addition method for $^{237}Np$ was established by an alpha and gamma spectrometry using $^{239}Np$ as a spike after the optimum conditions for the measurements of $^{237}Np\;and\;^{239}Np$, respectively, were obtained. A separation system using anion exchange chromatography and diethylhexylphosphoric acid extraction chromatography was applied for the separation of these elements. This method was applied to high-burnup spent nuclear fuel samples $(40{\sim}60GWD/MTU)$. The contents of the transuranic elements were compared with those by ORIGEN-2 code. Measurements and the calculations of the contents of the plutonium isotopes $^{238}Pu,\;^{239}Pu\;and\;^{240}Pu$ agreed to within 10% on average. The contents of $^{237}Np$ agreed to within approximately 5% except for one instance of a calculation, while those of $^{241}Am,\;^{244}Cm\;and\;^{242}Cm$ showed higher values by approximately 19%, 35% and 14% on average, respectively, compared to the calculations according to the burnup.

Determination of trace actinide (Am, Pu, Th, U) using alpha spectrometry and neutron activation analysis (알파분광법과 중성자방사화분석법에 의한 극미량의 악티늄계원소 (Am, Pu, Th, U)분석연구)

  • Yoon, Yoon Yeol;Lee, Kil Yong;Cho, Soo Young;Kim, Yongjai;Lee, Myong Ho
    • Analytical Science and Technology
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    • v.17 no.4
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    • pp.302-307
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    • 2004
  • Determination of actinides in the environmental sample requires separation of each element. This procedure is tedious and time consuming. And also, the detection limits of some nuclides using alpha spectrometry are rather higher. To overcome the lower detection limit and complicated separation procedure, a simple analytical technique for the determination of actinide isotopes in the environmental samples was developed and applied to IAEA and NIST reference sediment samples. For the separation of actinides from matrix, anion exchange resin and TRU-spec extraction chromatography resin were used and chemical yields were obtained using natural uranium, thorium, $^{242}Pu$ and $^{243}Am$ tracers. For overcoming the higher detection limits of U and Th in alpha spectrometry, neutron activation analysis was applied. Using combined method, the detection limit was increased about 10 times. The activity values of each isotope were consistent with the reference values reported by IAEA and NIST.