Measurement of the half-life of79Se using a radiochemical method

The half-life of⁷⁹Se, a long-lived fission product nuclide, has never been measured accurately. The value quoted in the literature is an upper limit, 6.5·10⁴ y, measured in 1949. In the present work we measured accurately the half-life of⁷⁹Se to be (4.8±0.4)·10⁵ y using a radiochemical method.     

Effect of experimental conditions on the in vitro stability of99mTc (Sn)-pyrophosphate

The in vitro stability of^99mTc (Sn)-PyP as a function of experimental conditions of the preparation of the kit and time elapsed after labeling has been tested. The preparation was protected by using nitrogen-purged reactant solutions and kit vials and by ascorbic acid. The samples under nitrogen are stable for 6 h when the content of^99mTc-pertechnetate raises to 5%. The best stability was achieved by addition of 5 g of ascorbic acid per ml of the kit (content of^99mTc-pertechnetate about 0.5%). To accelerate the decomposition, exogenous hydrogen peroxide was used. In this case it was found that the presence of 10 g of ascorbic acid inhibits the effect both of oxygen and peroxide (6 g H₂O₂/ml of the kit). Radiochemical purity of^99mTc (Sn)-PyP remains practically unchanged for 6 h (content of^99mTc-pertechnetate about 0.5%).     

Independent yield of88Y from thermal neutron induced fission of235U

The independent yield of⁸⁸Y from thermal neutron-induced fission of²³⁵U was determined relatively to the well-known yield of⁹¹Y. An upper limit obtained was 1.53×10^–8%.     

Half-life measurement of <Superscript>126</Superscript>Sn isolated from Hanford nuclear defense waste

Summary Long-term risk assessment of residual and disposed nuclear fuel reprocessing waste requires good knowledge of component isotopes with long half-lives. For example, the accuracy of the accepted ¹²⁶Sn half-life of approximately 100,000 years is insufficient for desired risk assessments. From modeling and sampling, ¹²⁶Sn is known to exist in Hanford nuclear waste. Excess portions of waste characterization samples were used to isolate ¹²⁶Sn for measurement of its half-life. Isolation was performed with ion-exchange resins. The resulting ¹²⁶Sn was gamma-assayed with a hyperpure germanium spectrometer for decay photon identification and activity values. An inductively coupled plasma/mass spectrometer was used to measure the atom quantity of the isolated ¹²⁶Sn. The separation chemistry, observed gamma energies, and calculated half-life are presented. The half-life of ¹²⁶Sn estimated in this work is (2.33±0.10) ^. 10⁵ years.     

Underpotential deposition of tin(II) on a gold disc electrode and determination of tin in a tin plate sample

This work describes a study of the underpotential deposition (UPD) of Sn²⁺ on a polycrystalline gold disc electrode using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronocoulometry (CC). Sn²⁺ ions showed well-defined peaks from UPD and UPD stripping (UPD-S) in 1 mol/L HCl solutions, while bulk deposition (BD) and BD stripping (BD-S) of the ions were also observed. The measured UPD shifts, E_UPD, between the UPD-S and the BD-S peaks were more than 200 mV. The UPD charge and the surface coverage of tin were measured by CC. A new method for determining Sn²⁺ was therefore developed, based on the excellent electrochemical properties of the Au/Sn UPD system. A plot of the UPD-DPASV (differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry) signal versus the Sn(II) concentration was obtained for [Sn(II)] of 1.98×10^–7 to 3.64×10^–5 M. The method developed here has been applied to determine the tin in a tin plate sample.     

Interferences in the determination of trace elements in high-purity tin

Reactor neutron activation analysis of antimony, indium and cadmium in high-purity tin is interfered with by nuclear reactions on the tin matrix. For a number of interfering reactions the cross-sections were determined. The following results were obtained:¹²²Sn(n,γ)^123mSn:σ_th=0.145 barn, I=0.79 barn;¹²²Sn(n,γ)¹¹³Sn:σ_th=0.52, I=25.4 barn;¹¹²Sn(n, 2n)¹¹¹Sn: microbarn;¹¹⁸Sn(n, α)¹¹⁵Cd: microbarn; and¹¹⁴Sn(n, p)^114m1In: microbarn.     

Electrochemical detector with a 20 nl volume for micro-columns liquid chromatography

Summary A flow-through two electrode wall-jet cell with a platinum measuring electrode and a cell volume of 20 nl has been designed and evaluated. It has been used to detect phenols by reversed phase liquid chromatography using short micro bore columns. The linear dynamic range between the measured current and the concentration is greater than 10³ (1.5×10^–7–5×10^–4 mol/l) and the minimum analyzable amount was found to be 10 pg for pyrocatechol. A negligible broadening in the detector permits the use of micro columns down to 0.5 mm internal diameter, packed with 5 m particles, without any substantial distortion of eluted zones.Presented at the 14th International Symposium on Chromatography London, September, 1982     

Mössbauer study of interphase formation at the interface of electrodeposited tin on nickel or aluminium

Besides -Sn, a Ni–Sn alloy was identified by means of Mössbauer investigations on tin plated nickel foils formed during the electrodeposition of¹¹⁹Sn on nickel substrate. The average thickness of the layer caused by electroimplantation is about 80 to 100 nm on each side of the sample. The amount of the Ni–Sn alloy increases by heat treatment and the activation energy of the interdiffusion Q=102.5±2 kJ/mol was determined. A diffusion into the substrate could not be observed for electrodeposited¹¹⁹Sn on aluminium even at temperatures above the melting point of tin.     

Standardization of125I by the sum-peak method and the results of a bilateral comparison between ENEA (Italy) and INP (Albania)

An intercomparison on absolute activity measurements of¹²⁵I sources by the sumpeak method was carried out in 1993 between the Primary Standard Laboratories for Ionizing Radiations of Italy (ENEA) and Albania (INP). The sources were prepared by ENEA starting from a¹²⁵I solution. The sources were measured at ENEA and successively at INP. The results were in good agreement, the deviation of the INP results from the ENEA results being about –0.5% with an overall uncertainty of both results about 0.3% (1). This paper describes the instrumentation and the experimental procedures used in this comparison by the two Institutes.     

Investigation on the corrosion of brazed joints by means of scanning auger microprobe

As a model experiment for the corrosion behaviour of brazed joints in water pipes made of stainless steel, some tens ofan broad joints made of three different brazes (Ag/Cu/In/Ni, Ag/Cu/Sn, Ag/Cu) were exposed to streaming water at different Cl^– concentrations. The samples were polarized. The three-dimensional distribution of the corrosion products, obtained by Auger mapping and depth profiling, supplied some information about the corrosion behaviour of the joints.     

197Au (α,xn)201−xTl reactions

Excitation functions of (, xn) reactions on¹⁹⁷Au with x5 have been measured in different irradiations from 10 to 55 MeV bombarding energy, by Ge intrinsic spectroscopy of the residual activity of stacked foils. Absolute cross sections for the formation of^{200,199,198,197,196 m}Tl are reported. Isomeric ratios for products^198mTl and^198gTl were also determined.This work has been sponsored by the Subsecretaría de Ciencia y Tecnología, Argentina.     

Development of new centrifuges for fast solvent extraction of transactinide elements

Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to concurrently determine multiple long-lived (t_1/2>10⁴ y) actinide isotopes in soil leachates. Ultrasonic nebulization was found to maximize instrument sensitivity. Instrument detection limits for actinides in solution ranged from 50 mBq L^–1 (²³⁹Pu) to 2Bq L^–1 (²³⁵U). Hydride adducts of²³²Th and²³⁸U interfered with the determinations of²³³U and²³⁹Pu; thus, extraction chromatography was used to concentrate the analytes and separate uranium from the other actinides in advance of mass spectrometric determination. Alpha spectrometric determinations of²³⁰Th,²³⁹Pu, and the²³⁴U/²³⁸U activity ratio in soil leachates compared well with ICP-MS determinations; however, there were some small systematic differences (ca. 10%) between ICP-MS and -spectrometric determinations of²³⁴U and²³⁸U activities. These differences were attributed to the use of different isotope dilution spikes for ICP-MS and -spectrometry.     

Alpha-recoil atoms of plutonium in the environment

The -recoil effect of²³⁹Pu has been observed in environmental samples and theN ₅ ^P /N₅ ratio in these samples has been calculated. This ratio in atmospheric samples is in the range between 10^–5 and 10^–4 (atom/atom). For other contemporary terrestrial samples it is in the range between 10^–7 and 10^–6 (atom/atom), while that of uranium mineral is about 10^–10 (atom/atom). The results further explain the radioactive fallout contamination of our environment by uranium and plutonium isotopes.     

Activity concentrations of238U and226Ra in agricultural samples

Distributions of²³⁸U and²²⁶Ra in agricultural samples and cultivated soils have been studied over ten years. The crops are rice, spinach and Chinese cabbage. Two investigated areas have been selected (35° 18 N, 113° 35 E). The agricultural samples and soils were collected annually from May 1982 through October 1991. The activity concentrations of²²⁶Ra in agricultural samples are greater than those of²³⁸U. The transfer factors of²³⁸U,²²⁶Ra are from 0.06·10^–3 to 1.2·10^–3. The²²⁶Ra/²³⁸U ratios for three agricultural samples have their characteristic values.     

Isomer yield ratios and cross sections for110(4.9 h)In/110(69 min)In and108(58 min) In/108(39.6 min)In produced by alpha reactions on silver

This paper reports the determination of absolute excitation functions and cross section ratios for the production of 110(4.9 h)/110(69 min) In and^{108(58 min)/108(39.6 min)}In in reactions of -particles with natural silver. Target stack foils of silver were bombarded with the 55.0 MeV -particle, beam available at the Buenos Aires synchrocyclotron. The -spectrometry was used for the identification and for the determination of the absolute activity of^{110(4.9 h)}In and^{110(69 min)}In from¹⁰⁷Ag/, n/ and¹⁰⁹Ag/, 3n/ reactions and of^{108(58 min)}In and^{108(39.6 min)}In from¹⁰⁷Ag/, 3n/ and¹⁰⁹Ag/, 5n/ reactions by means of Ge intrinsic detector.This work has been sponsored by the Subsecretaria de Ciencia y Tecnología Argentina.     

Sorption kinetics of tributyltin on Elbe river biofilms

For the first time detailed sorption kinetics of tributyltin on native Elbe river biofilms are presented. For this purpose a modified annular rotating continuous flow reactor has been used to develop a reproducible biofilm. Important parameters, such as flow rates, sheer forces, and nutrient concentrations could be varied independently and adjusted to natural conditions. Time-resolved sorption kinetics have been carried out with tributyltin, the most toxic compound in many antifouling paints. The highest sorption rates of tributyltin were observed during the first 0–10 min (0.60±0.05 g Sn m^–2min^–1) than they decreased to a value of 0.10±0.10 g Sn m^–2min^–1 (10–90 min) and increased to a value of 0.20±0.05 g Sn m^–2min^–1 (90–120 min).     

FIA Amperometric Determination of Molybdenum(VI) Based on the Catalysis of the Hydrogen Peroxide-Iodide Reaction

An analytical approach to FIA amperometric determination of molybdenum based on the well-known catalytic reaction involving the oxidation of iodide by hydrogen peroxide is proposed. The indirect method involves measurements of triiodide at a glassy carbon electrode polarised at +0.2V in a flow-through configuration. The limit of detection was found to be 6×10^–9molL^–1, and the dynamic concentration range was established as 1×10^–7molL^–1 to 5×10^–5molL^–1. The repeatability of measurements was determined as 2.1% (n = 20). The amount of Mo in a steel sample was determined after removing the additive interference from iron by using fluoride ions, and the results were in good agreement with the certified value. Interference of other metallic ions is addressed.     

High-Tc superconductors studied by57Co,57Fe,119Sn,and151Eu mössbauer spectroscopy

¹⁵¹Eu,¹¹⁹Sn,⁵⁷Fe, and⁵⁷Co Mössbauer spectroscopy was used to study YBa₂Cu₃O_7– high-T_c superconductors in which sites were replaced by various Mössbauer nuclides in order to get information about site preference and structural changes. By decomposition of the Mössbauer spectra, the Y site substituted by Eu and the Cu sites occupied by Sn, Fe, and Co substituents were identified. It was found that Fe and Co prefer the Cu(1) site while Sn prefers the Cu(2) site in the orthorhombic perovskite lattice of these superconductors. The site preference is enhanced in the presence of additional substituents. A sequence of thermal heat treatments permits reversible cycling of⁵⁷Co between the two copper sites in the YBa₂[Cu(⁵⁷Co)]₃O_7– perovskite. In all cases Eu(III) and Sn(IV) states are determined, but the valence state of Fe and Co can be both three and four. BelowT _c, low-temperature phase transformation and phonon softening were shown from the anomalous temperature dependence of isomer shifts and the area fractions of¹⁵¹Eu and¹¹⁹Sn Mössbauer spectra of EuBa₂(Cu_1-xSn_x)₃O_7- cuprates.     

Synthesis of195mPt radiolabelled cis-diamminedichloroplatinum/II/ of high chemical and radiochemical purity using high performance liquid chromatography

An improved method is described for the synthesis of^195mPt-radiolabelled cis-diamminedichloroplatinum/II. An amount of 10 mg of 95% enriched¹⁹⁴Pt was irradiated for 75 h in the hydraulic conveyer of the KUR at a thermal neutron flux of approximately 8.15×10¹³ n.cm^–2.sec^–1 and the^195mPt-radiolabelled CDDP was purified using HPLC. The chemical yield is 61% its chemical purity is greater than 99.74% the radiochemical purity is nearly 100%, and the specific activity is 7.4×10⁶ Bq mg^–1 CDDP/200 Ci mg^–1 CDDP/.