Isotope ratio analysis of individual plutonium and mixed uranium-plutonium particles with ICP-MS

Esaka, Fumitaka  ; Magara, Masaaki  ; Suzuki, Daisuke   ; Miyamoto, Yutaka   ; Lee, C. G.; Kimura, Takaumi 

In this study, a combination of chemical separation and inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is applied to the analysis of individual plutonium particles. Prior to the isotope ratio analysis with ICP-MS, individual plutonium particles in samples were identified by using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transferred to each Si chip by a micro-manipulator attached to the SEM system. After removed from the SEM chamber, each particle was dissolved with HF-HNO solution. An anion exchange method was applied to separate Pu and Am for subsequent isotope ratio analysis with ICP-MS. As a result, the plutonium isotope ratios in individual particles with the diameter less than 1 micrometer could be determined with good accuracy. In this presentation, the analytical results of mixed uranium-plutonium particles will also be presented.