Citation:
K.J. Glennon, E.M. Bond, T.A. Bredeweg, S.S. Chirayath, C.M. Folden, III, “Isolating Trace Fission Product Elements in Separated Plutonium for Applications in Nuclear Forensics”, Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Published online October 17, 2020.
Abstract:
A chemical methodology has been selected to isolate and concentrate select trace fission product (FP) elements from separated Pu for nuclear forensics. The methodology employs several different resins and eluents to chromatographically separate U and the FP elements of interest into their own fractions. The U, rare-earth element, Cs, and Ba fractions were isolated with relative yields of ≥ 73.8%, ≥ 80.7%, ≥ 98.5%, and ≥ 98.0%, respectively. The methodology was able to successively isolate select FP elements on the order of 10–10 g out of much larger samples of Pu.