Determination of rare-earth elements in uranium-bearing materials by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.
A novel and simple analytical procedure has been developed for the trace-level determination of lanthanides (rare-earth elements) in uranium-bearing materials by inductively coupled plasma sector-field mass spectrometry (ICP-SFMS). The method involves a selective extraction chromatographic separation of lanthanides using TRU resin followed by ICP-SFMS analysis. The limits of detection of the method proposed is in the low pg g(-1) range, which are approximately two orders of magnitude better than that of without chemical separation. The method was validated by the measurement of reference material and applied for the analysis of uranium ore concentrates (yellow cakes) for nuclear forensic purposes, as a potential application of the methodology.
European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Transuranium Elements, PO Box 2340, 76125 Karlsruhe, Germany.
Zsolt
Z
Varga
Róbert
R
Katona
Zsolt
Z
Stefánka
Maria
M
Wallenius
Klaus
K
Mayer
Adrian
A
Nicholl
D002845:Chromatography / Q000379:methods; D028581:Lanthanoid Series Elements / Q000032:analysis*; D057230:Limit of Detection; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D014501:Uranium / Q000032:analysis*
D028581:Lanthanoid Series Elements; D014501:Uranium