A rapid dissolution procedure to aid initial nuclear forensics investigations of chemically refractory compounds and particles prior to gamma spectrometry

A rapid and effective preparative procedure has been evaluated for the accurate determination of low-energy (40–200 keV) gamma-emitting radionuclides (²¹⁰Pb, ²³⁴Th, ²²⁶Ra, ²³⁵U) in uranium ores and uranium ore concentrates (UOCs) using high-resolution gamma ray spectrometry. The measurement of low-energy gamma photons is complicated in heterogeneous samples containing high-density mineral phases and in such situations activity concentrations will be underestimated. This is because attenuation corrections, calculated based on sample mean density, do not properly correct where dense grains are dispersed within a less dense matrix (analogous to a nugget effect). The current method overcomes these problems using a lithium tetraborate fusion that readily dissolves all components including high-density, self-attenuating minerals/compounds. This is the ideal method for dissolving complex, non-volatile components in soils, rocks, mineral concentrates, and other materials where density reduction is required. Lithium borate fusion avoids the need for theoretical efficiency corrections or measurement of matrix matched calibration standards. The resulting homogeneous quenched glass produced can be quickly dissolved in nitric acid producing low-density solutions that can be counted by gamma spectrometry. The effectiveness of the technique is demonstrated using uranium-bearing Certified Reference Materials and provides accurate activity concentration determinations compared to the underestimated activity concentrations derived from direct measurements of a bulk sample. The procedure offers an effective solution for initial nuclear forensic studies where complex refractory minerals or matrices exist. It is also significantly faster, safer and simpler than alternative approaches.     

Highly efficient,economic, and recyclable glutathione decorated magnetically separable nanocomposite for uranium(VI) adsorption from aqueous solution

A green and environment-friendly magnetically separable nanocomposite, glutathione@magnetite was fabricated sonochemically through the functionalization of Fe₃O₄ by glutathione which was well characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, ultravoilet-visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, vibrating sample magnetometer, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, and high-resolution transmission electron microscope. The parameters affecting adsorption including pH, temperature, contact time, initial adsorbate concentration, and adsorbent amount were optimized by batch experiments. The magnetic glutathione@magnetite was applied for the removal of uranium(VI) in water with maximum adsorption capacity found to be 333.33 mg/g in 120 min at a neutral pH at 25 °C showing high efficiency for U(VI) ions. Furthermore, adsorption results obtained from UV-vis spectroscopy were validated by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. The thermodynamic parameters, viz Gibbs free energy (ΔGº), standard enthalpy change (ΔHº), and standard entropy change (ΔSº) of the process were calculated using the Langmuir constants. The pseudo-second-order kinetics model is seen to be applicable for describing the uptake process using a kinetics test. Moreover, desorption studies reveals that glutathione@magnetite can be used repeatedly, and removal efficiency shows only a small decrease after six cycles. Thus, glutathione@magnetite acts as a potential adsorbent for the removal of U(VI) from the water with great adsorption performance.     

Heterometallic zinc uranium oxyfluorides incorporating imidazole ligands

Two heterometallic uranium oxyfluorides with hybrid networks were hydrothermally synthesized by incorporating two imidazoles, 1-(biphenyl-4-yl)-1H-imidazole(bpi) and 1,4-di(1H-imidazol-1-yl)benzene(dib), formulated as Zn(bpi)2(UO2)2(H2O)F6(1) and Zn(dib)(UO2)F4 0.5H2O(2). Compound 1consists of chains of edge-sharing UO2F5 and UO2F4(H2O) pentagonal bipyramids, which are linked by Zn(bpi)2moieties to form the sheet structure with decorated bpi. While in compound 2, sheets of edgesharing dimers of UO2F5 pentagonal bipyramids and Zn F3N2 polyhedra are linked by dib, creating a pillared three-dimensional framework. The two compounds represent the few examples of heterometallic uranium oxyfluorides incorporating organic ligands. The syntheses, structure as well as the IR spectra, UV–vis spectra and luminescent properties of the bimetallic uranium oxyfluorides are studied.     

龙门山地区水系沉积物中铀含量分布特征

铀元素是具有毒性和放射性的锕系元素之一,对区域环境和人体健康具有极大的危害,开展铀元素污染评价具有重要的现实意义。以龙门山地区主要水系为主要研究对象,采集了大量的水系沉积物样品,对该地区的铀元素分布特征进行了研究。研究表明,大渡河水系沉积物中铀平均质量分数为5.50 mg/kg,绵远河水系沉积物中的铀平均质量分数为3.07 mg/kg,其余河流水系沉积物中铀含量均较低。通过龙门山地区水系沉积物中铀元素分布特征与龙门山地区矿产分布对比发现,煤矿、磷矿开发区是水系主要铀元素来源。     

激光烧蚀-多接收电感耦合等离子体质谱测定铀颗粒物中铀全同位素比值

建立了铀颗粒物中铀全同位素比值的分析方法,采用双面胶带装载铀颗粒物样品,优化激光烧蚀-多接收电感耦合等离子体质谱的运行参数,用标准样品交叉法校正质量分馏和探测器检测效率,测定了粒径几十微米的铀标准物质CRM124-1、GBW04234和GBW04238中铀全同位素比值.本方法对铀颗粒物中235U/238U、234 U/235U和236 U/235U测量的相对实验标准不确定度分别小于0.050％,1.7％和1.8％,测量结果与参考值在不确定度范围内符合.研究表明,本方法可快速、准确、高精度地测定铀颗粒物中铀全同位素比值.     

Two Uranyl Complexes with Pyromellitic Acid. A Heterometallic Complex with U=O–CuII Interaction

Two uranyl complexes based on pyromellitic acid were hydrothermally synthesized, and their X‐ray single‐crystal diffraction structures were determined. Complex [UO₂(Hbtec)]^–(Himd)⁺ · H₂O ( 1 ) (H₄btec = pyromellitic acid, imd = imidazole), is an ionic complex, which shows a typical (4, 4) topological structure in the space. A heterometallic complex, UO₂Cu(btec)(phen) ( 2 ) (phen = 1,10‐phenanthroline) results from the reaction of uranyl nitrate and copper(II) bromide with pyromellitic acid. The structure of complex 2 revealed that the chains of UO₇ and CuO₃N₂ units were connected to each other through the carboxyl groups and U=O–Cu interactions to create a two‐dimensional framework.     

Kinetics and Mechanism of Catalytic Reduction of U(VI) with Hydrazine on Platinum Catalysts in Nitric Acid Media

The kinetics of U(IV) produced by hydrazine reduction of U(VI) with platinum as a catalyst in nitric acid media was studied to reveal the reaction mechanism and optimize the reaction process. Electron spin resonance (ESR) was used to determine the influence of nitric acid oxidation. The effects of nitric acid, hydrazine, U(VI) concentration, catalyst dosage and temperature on the reaction rate were also studied. In addition, the simulation of the reaction process was performed using density functional theory. The results show that the influence of oxidation on the main reaction is limited when the concentration of nitric acid is below 0.5 mol/L. The reaction kinetics equation below the concentration of 0.5 mol/L is found as: -dc(UO₂²⁺)/dt)=kc^0.5323(UO₂²⁺)c^0.2074(N₂H₅⁺)c^-0.2009(H⁺). When the temperature is 50 ℃, and the solid/liquid ratio r is 0.0667 g/mL, the reaction kinetics constant is k=0.00199 (mol/L)^0.4712/min. Between 20 ℃ and 80 ℃, the reaction rate gradually increases with the increase of temperature, and changes from chemically controlled to diffusion-controlled. The simulations of density functional theory give further insight into the influence of various factors on the reaction process, with which the reaction mechanisms are determined according to the reaction kinetics and the simulation results.     

Electrochemical Selective Determination of Uranyl Ions Using PVC Membrane Sensor

A UO₂²⁺‐PVC membrane electrode was constructed using 2‐thenoyltrifluoroacetone as ionophore and its electrochemical response performance was characterized. The effect of membrane composition on the electrode performance was studied and best results were obtained using dioctylsebacate as a mediator and potassium tetrakis(4‐chlorophenyl)borate as anion excluder. The optimized UO₂²⁺‐sensor exhibited a Nernstian response with a slope of 29.5±0.5 mV decade⁻¹ over the concentration range 5.0×10⁻⁷−1.0×10⁻¹ mol L⁻¹ at 25 °C with a detection limit of 3.1×10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹. The optimized electrode showed very good selectivity towards UO₂²⁺ relative to a wide variety of other cations and fast response time. Surface morphology of the optimized membrane electrode at different stages of its development and use was investigated and discussed. Quantum chemical calculations for geometrical optimization of the ionophore were carried out to investigate the interaction between the ionophore and UO₂²⁺ using DFT B3LYP/6‐31++G(d,p) level of theory and the obtained data confirmed the proposed response mechanism. The developed sensor was successfully applied for UO₂²⁺ selective determination in real water samples and the obtained results were compared to those obtained by spectrophotometric method indicating no significant difference.     

Removal of uranium (VI) from nuclear effluents onto aluminophosphate and silicoaluminophosphate molecular sieves

Aluminophosphate and silicoaluminophosphate molecular sieves with both five (AFI) and eleven (AEL) type structures are synthesized by hydrothermal crystallization at 473 K, using tripropylamine and dipropylamine as a structure-directing template. The as-prepared AFI and AEL sieves are characterized and then assessed as sorbents for uranium (VI) from radioactive effluents. The sorption process is used to reduce the volumes of effluents and convert them into a stable solid waste. The batch experimental studies are carried out to evaluate the AEL and AFI structure effect on the removal of uranium. The AlPO₄-5, SAPO-5, AlPO₄-11 and SAPO-11 are applied to radioactive effluents with different activities obtained from Nuclear Research Center of Draria, Algeria. Important decontamination factor values are obtained for AFI sorbents. Thermodynamic parameters, namely, the enthalpy (ΔH), entropy (ΔS) and free energy (ΔG) for each sorption process are calculated. The collected results indicated that sorbents are effective materials for the removal of uranium (VI) ions, the sorbent with AFI structure being a highly effective material for the removal of uranium (VI) ions from nuclear effluents.     

UxTh1-x(C2O4)2 Solid Characterisation Studies

Many advanced reprocessing schemes under development are aimed at co-processing and co-conversion of actinides, unlike current reprocessing plants that produce separate uranium and plutonium products. The most well developed option for the co-conversion stage is probably oxalate co-precipitation, followed by the thermal co-conversion to a mixed oxide product. It is thus envisaged that future processes will avoid separation of plutonium from uranium and instead allow part of the uranium to flow with the plutonium, resulting in co-precipitation as the oxalate, and finally co-conversion to a mixed uranium-plutonium oxide (MOX), which can be fabricated into recycled nuclear fuel for further energy generation.The co-crystallisation of uranium (IV) and plutonium (III) into a single oxalate structure ensures the homogenous distribution of the two actinides at the molecular scale. The joint conversion of uranium and plutonium to the oxide form makes it possible to remove the complicated step of blending and grinding the two distinct oxide powders, as currently employed for the purposes of MOX fuel fabrication. This concept can also be extended to other actinides, including minor actinides from partitioning processes such as SANEX (Selective Actinide Extraction) and GANEX (Grouped Actinide Extraction) processes or even a thorium containing product from recycle of thorium based fuels.A selection of U_xTh_1-x(C₂O₄)₂ solids at varying concentrations of uranium and thorium were prepared by oxalate co-precipitation. Uranium (VI) was conditioned electrochemically at -0.7 V to uranium (IV), in the presence of hydrazine. The reduced uranium (IV) in nitric acid was mixed with thorium nitrate solutions at different concentration ratios with oxalic acid. The mixed tetravalent uranium-thorium oxalate solid products have been characterised by Raman and IR spectroscopies. The influence of thorium substituted into the uranium oxalate structure was evaluated. Several vibrational modes were found to be affected by the variation in ionic radius appearing to be metal sensitive and therefore, provide the initial indication in the evaluation of the chemical composition.