Application of Inductively coupled plasma Mass Spectrometry to the determination of uranium isotope ratios in individual particles for nuclear safeguards

Zhang, X. Z.*; Esaka, Fumitaka  ; Esaka, Konomi; Magara, Masaaki  ; Sakurai, Satoshi ; Usuda, Shigekazu; Watanabe, Kazuo

The capability of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for the determination of uranium isotope ratios in individual particles was determined. For this purpose, we developed an experimental procedure including single particle transfer with a manipulator, chemical dissolution and isotope ratio analysis. As the result, the U/U isotope ratio for the particle with the diameter between 0.5 and 3.9 m was successfully determined with the deviation from the certified ratio within 1.8%. The developed procedure was successfully applied to the analysis of a simulated environmental sample prepared from a mixture of indoor dust (NIST SRM 2583) and uranium particles (NBL CRM U050, U350 and U950a). From the results, the proposed procedure was found to be an alternative analytical tool for nuclear safeguards.