Benedik L, Pilar AM, Prosen H, Jaćimović R, Povinec PP. Determination of ultra-trace levels of uranium and thorium in electrolytic copper using radiochemical neutron activation analysis.
Appl Radiat Isot 2021;
175:109801. [PMID:
34118588 DOI:
10.1016/j.apradiso.2021.109801]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Uranium and thorium as natural radioactive elements are present everywhere in the environment. Their trace levels are also present in various materials, such as copper, used as a shielding material in gamma-ray spectrometry, usually located very close to the detector. Ultra-low levels of uranium and thorium in electrolytic copper were determined in this study using radiochemical neutron activation analysis (RNAA) via their induced nuclides U-239/Np-239 and Pa-233, respectively. After irradiation of copper together with uranium and thorium standards, various techniques were used for their separation from the matrix. To isolate of short-lived U-239, solvent extraction in a combination of tributyl phosphate (TBP) in toluene was used. To separate Np-239 and Pa-233, extraction chromatography using TEVA and TK-400 resins was applied. Special attention was paid to the estimation of radiochemical recovery, which was determined in each sample aliquot using U-235, Np-238 and Pa-231 tracers. For quantification of induced nuclides and tracers used in the experiment, gamma-ray spectrometry was used. Obtained results showed that electrolytic copper samples contained impurities of uranium and thorium in ultra-trace levels: up to 45 pg/g (550 nBq/g) for uranium and up to 80 pg/g (330 nBq/g) for thorium. The electrolytic copper also contained impurities of Ag, As, Au, Sb, Se and Zn as observed using the k0-INAA technique.
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