Simple technique for the preparation of uranium-impregnated porous silica particles and their application as working standard particles for analysis of the safeguards environmental samples

Tomita, Jumpei  ; Tomita, Ryohei ; Suzuki, Daisuke   ; Yasuda, Kenichiro   ; Miyamoto, Yutaka   

A simple method for preparing uranium particles by impregnating uranium into porous silica particles was developed for use as particulate isotopic working standards. Isotopic standard solutions of uranium were prepared by acid digestion of uranium isotopic standard powder (CRM U100 and U850 from NBL) and then impregnated into the porous silica particles. The impregnation of uranium into the porous silica particles was observed by scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and large-geometry secondary-ion mass spectrometry analyses. The abundances of uranium isotopes determined by multicollector thermal ionization mass spectrometry agreed with the certified values, and no significant bias was found between the measured and certified values. These results indicate this new method for preparing uranium-impregnated particles has the potential to be applied to the preparation of in-house particulate isotopic standards.