Controlled potential coulometry: the application of a secondary reaction to the determination of plutonium and uranium at a solid electrode

A method is described for the simultaneous determination of plutonium and uranium in mixed oxides by controlled potential coulometry at a gold working electrode in two stages: first a coulometric oxidation, at 0.73 V vs. a silver/silver chloride electrode, of Pu(III) and U(IV) to Pu(IV) and U(VI) by a combination of a direct electrode reaction and a secondary chemical reaction proceeding concurrently, and secondly, a coulometric reduction at 0.33 V of Pu(IV) to Pu(III), leaving uranium as U(VI). The determination is carried out in a mixture of sulphuric and nitric acids, and Ti(III) is used to reduce plutonium and uranium to Pu(III) and U(IV) before electrolysis. The precision (3sigma) of Pu:U ratio results obtained from mixtures containing about 30% and 2% plutonium was 0.5% and 1-5% respectively. The effect of experimental variables on the time taken to complete the coulometric determination is discussed.     

Determination of plutonium and uranium in mixed oxide fuels by sequential redox titration

The use of a sequential determination of uranium and plutonium in a single sample solution results in a saving in analysis time and apparatus requirements. The method starts with U(IV) and Pu(in) in a mixture of sulphuric and nitric adds. Titration with dichromate, using amperometry at a pair of polarizable electrodes, produces two well-defined end-points corresponding to the sequential oxidation of U(IV) to U(VI) and Pu(III) to Pu(IV). The quantitative oxidation of U(IV) to U(VI) is achieved via the action of Pu(IV) as intermediate, and is dependent upon establishing conditions which favour rapid reaction between U(IV) and Pu(IV). The method is precise and accurate. With Pu-U mixtures containing between 15 and 30% plutonium the precision (3sigma) of the Pu: U ratio results is +/-0.6% on samples containing 100-120 mg of plutonium plus uranium. Iron and vanadium interfere quantitatively with plutonium, copper interferes non-quantitatively with uranium, and gross amounts of molybdenum mask the uranium end-point.     

Coulometric determination of uranium in presence of iron/plutonium using a platinum working electrode

A controlled potential coulometric method for the determination of uranium in the presence of iron or plutonium using a platinum working electrode has been developed. The method consists of reduction of uranium in 8M H₂SO₄ by Ti(III) followed by destruction of excess Ti(III) and selective oxidation of Fe(II) or Pu(III) to Fe(III) or Pu(IV), respectively, by sodium nitrite. The U(IV) is subsequently determined by electrolytic oxidation at Pt electrode using Fe(III) as an intermediate. The method was employed for the determination of uranium in synthetic mixtures of U+Fe and U+Pu containing varying ratios of U/Fe or U/Pu. The precision obtained for uranium results was ±0.25%.     

Coulometric determination of uranium and iron or plutonium in a single aliquot using platinum working electrode

A controlled potential coulometric method developed earlier for the determination of uranium in the presence of iron or plutonium using platinum working electrode was extended for individual determination of uranium and iron or plutonium in single aliquot. After uranium determination, Fe(III) or Pu(IV) in the aliquot is reduced electrolytically to Fe(II) or Pu(III) and subsequently determined by electrolytic oxidation to Fe(III) or Pu(IV), respectively. Analysis of synthetic solutions indicated that the values for uranium, iron and plutonium obtained by this method are reproducible within±0.2% and are in good agreement with values obtained using conventional redox methods 1, 2.     

Coulometric determination of uranium with a platinum working electrode

Experimental conditions have been established which enable uranium to be determined coulometrically by the reduction of uranium(VI) to uranium(IV) at a platinum working electrode, by controlled-potential or controlled-potential-limit techniques. The procedure has been used successfully as a subsidiary method in the routine determination of uranium in pure uranyl nitrate solutions. The platinum electrode has several important practical advantages over the well established mercury-pool electrode for the coulometric determination of uranium. The consecutive determination of iron(III) and uranium(VI), or plutonium(IV) and uranium(VI) can be carried out with the same working electrode in the same solution and the coulometric oxidation of uranium(IV) to uranium(VT) is practicable. The rate of stirring of the cell liquor is much less critical in the case of the platinum electrode. Two main problems had to be overcome before a practical procedure could be achieved; hydrogen evolution during the uranium(VI)-(IV) reduction had to be eliminated so that 100% current efficiency could be obtained for the desired reaction and electrode-surface poisoning phenomena had to be controlled so that reaction times could be kept reasonably short. It was found that selection of a hydrochloric acid base solution containing a small amount of bismuth(III) enabled hydrogen evolution to be avoided: also electrode-surface poisoning with this base solution was not particularly serious and could be maintained at a satisfactorily low level by occasionally anodizing the electrode in dilute sulphuric acid. Bismuth(III) forms a complex with chloride ions and its presence increases the hydrogen overvoltage at the working electrode: no visible deposit of bismuth metal forms on the electrode during the uranium reduction. Samples containing nitrate can be analysed provided sulphamic acid is added to this hydrochoric acid base solution.     

Extraction of plutonium(IV), uranium(VI) and some fission products by di-n-hexyl sulphoxide

The extraction of nitric acid, plutonium, uranium and fission products such as zirconium, ruthenium and europium has been investigated using di-n-hexyl sulphoxide in Solvesso-100. Results indicate that Pu(IV), U(VI), Zr(IV) and Ru NO(III) are extracted as disolvates, whereas Eu(III) is extracted as the trisolvate. The absorption spectra of the plutonium(IV) and uranium(VI) complexes extracted are similar to those of the species extracted by TBP which indicate the similarity of the species involved. Preliminary studies show that irradiated di-n-hexyl sulphoxide extracts zirconium to a smaller extent than irradiated TBP suggesting the use of long chain aliphatic sulphoxides as promising extractants for the recovery of plutonium in high radiation fields.     

Determination of plutonium by secondary coulometric titration with internally generated iron(II)

The method for plutonium determination based on secondary controlled-potential coulometry, as described by SHULTS, is applied for analysis in the range of 0.1–5 mg plutonium. The method involves the oxidation of plutonium to Pu(VI) with perchloric acid followed by its reduction by an internally generated ferrous mediator. This is a two step procedure, involving the reduction of Pu(VI) and Fe(III) to a mixture of Pu(III) and Fe(II), followed by the oxidation of Pu(III) and Fe(II) to Pu(IV) and Fe(III), respectively. The net results is the reduction of Pu(VI) to Pu(IV), measured as the difference between the currents consumed during the reduction and oxidation steps. The original method of SHULTS involves 10–25 mg plutonium for each determination. Since the present method is intended for the analysis of smaller amounts of plutonium, the oxidation procedure described in the original version had to be modified. The method is found to work satisfactorily with a precision better than 0.1% at 5 mg level and 1.2% for 0.1 mg plutonium.     

Redox determination of uranium in presence of plutonium in low phosphoric acid medium and the recovery of plutonium

Quantitative determination of uranium in (U, Pu)O₂ fuels is usually done by the DAVIES-GRAY method. High concentrations of phosphoric acid in the analytical waste generated by this method make the revocery of plutonium rather complex. Studies on the recovery of plutonium from nitric acid medium containing different concentrations of H₃PO₄ by conventional anion-exchange procedure reveal that more than 90% of the plutonium can be easily recovered when the phosphoric acid concentration is less than 0.5 M in the solution. A method was developed for the determination of uranium in the presence of plutonium, which involves the reduction of U(VI) to U(IV) by Fe(II) in a medium of 3.5M H₃PO₄ +4.5M H₂SO₄ instead of 10–11M H₃PO₄ so as to have the H₃PO₄ concentration 0.6M in the waste. A number of determinations of uranium in UO₂(NO₃)₂ working standard solutions and (U, Pu) synthetic solutions with uranium at the 3–7 mg level were carried out by this method. The precision obtained was better than ±0.2% and the accuracy was also within the precision limits. The resulting analytical waste generated was directly subjected to anion exchange separation for the recovery of plutonium which was found to be more than 90%.     

Selective liquid scintillation method of plutonium α-spectrometry

A selective liquid scintillation method is suggested for plutonium determination by alpha-spectrometry in the presence of uranium. The analytical process consists of extracting plutonium from nitric acid solutions using BPHA, TOA and MTOA nitrate as extractants into toluene scintillator. Effect of various extractants and nitric acid concentration on the extraction of Pu(IV) and U(VI) together with scintillations quenching were investigated. A simple and fast two-stage selective scintillation method is also suggested for Pu determination in the irradiated uranioum samples.     

Di(2-ethyl hexyl) butyramide and di(2-ethyl hexyl)isobutyramide as extractants for uranium(VI) and plutonium(IV)

The extraction of uranium(VI) and plutonium(IV) from nitric acid into n-dodecane was studied using two isomeric branched alkyl amides, di(2-ethyl hexyl) butyramide (DEHBA) and di(2-ethyl hexyl) isobutyramide (DEHIBA). The extraction ratios of Pu(IV) at relatively high acidities were higher than the corresponding values for U(VI) in the case of DEHBA. However, with DEHIBA the values for Pu(IV) were negligibly small. Pu(IV) was found to be extracted as trisolvate by DEHBA and as disolvate by DEHIBA. U(VI) was extracted by both the amides. From the study of the extraction reactions at different temperatures, it was shown that all the reactions in the present investigation were enthalpy favoured and entropy disfavoured. Separation of Pu(IV) from bulk of U(VI) was feasible. However, the purity of the separated plutonium was not satisfactory in batch extraction studies.     

Determination of plutonium isotope ratios at very low levels by ICP-MS using on-line electrochemically modulated separations

Electrochemically modulated separations (EMS) are shown to be a rapid and selective means of extracting and concentrating Pu from complex solutions prior to isotopic analysis by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS). This separation is performed in a flow injection mode, on‐line with the ICP‐MS. A three‐electrode, flow‐by electrochemical cell is used to accumulate Pu at an anodized glassy carbon electrode by redox conversion of Pu(III) to Pu (IV&VI). The entire process takes place in 2% (v/v) (0.46 M) HNO₃. No redox chemicals or acid concentration changes are required. Plutonium accumulation and release is redox dependent and controlled by the applied cell potential. Large transient volumetric concentration enhancements can be achieved. Based on more negative U(IV) potentials relative to Pu(IV), separation of Pu from uranium is efficient, thereby eliminating uranium hydride interferences. EMS‐ICP‐MS isotope ratio measurement performance will be presented for femtogram to attogram level plutonium isotope injections.     

Determination of plutonium and uranium in the same aliquot by potentiometric titration

A potentiometric titration method was developed for the determination of plutonium and uranium in the same aliquot in nitric acid medium. Plutonium was first determined by oxidation to Pu/VI/ by fuming with conc. HClO₄. Pu/VI/ formed was reduced to Pu/IV/ with known excess of Fe/II/ and the excess Fe/II/ was titrated with standard K₂Cr₂O₇ to a potentiometric end point. Uranium in the same solution was determined by reduction to U/IV/ with Fe/II/ in conc. H₃PO₄ medium and titrating U/IV/ formed with standard K₂Cr₂O₇ using the potentiometric end point detection technique. For the quantity of plutonium and uranium each in the range of 3–5 mg per aliquot a precision of ±0.2% and ±0.4%, respectively, was obtained.     

Analyse polarographique des solutions d'attaque des combustibles des réacteurs à neutrons rapides,dosage du plutonium: |en|Polarographic determination of plutonium in dissolution products from fast neutron reactor fuels

Polarographic determination of plutonium in dissolution products from fast neutron reactor fuelsDifferential pulse polarography is applied to plutonium determinations in the presence of uranium, in nitric acid solutions from nuclear fuels. Several complexing agents for plutonium(IV) were tested, and a pyrophosphate medium at pH 2.5 was finally selected. The precision is about 1% provided that the U/Pu ratio is less than 5 ; under these conditions, the method does not require a preliminary separation of uranium.     

Bestimmung der freien Säure in wäßrigen Uran(IV)-nitrat- und Uran(IV)-perchloratlösungen

Methods described in literature for the determination of free acid in solutions containing plutonium(IV), uranium(VI) and aluminium(III) were investigated for their applicability in the presence of uranium(IV). Most methods turned out to work in the presence of uranium(IV). The simplest procedure was the suppression of the uranium(IV) hydrolysis by complexation with excess of fluoride. No bias was observed in the presence of 0–30 mg of uranium(IV). A variance of 1.4% resulted from the determination of 0.4 millimole of acid in the presence of 26 mg of uranium(IV) and a variance of 0.26% was obtained when 2 millimoles of acid were determined in the presence of 130 mg of uranium(IV). Uranium(IV) from 30–260 mg in 250 ml caused a negative bias, which can be corrected for. — A concentration of potassium fluoride in the titration medium of 10 g/l turned out to be optimum. In 11/2 years more than 750 determinations were carried out with the same glass electrode and no destruction of the electrode was observed. The influence of uranium(VI), iron(III) and aluminium (III) on the determination of the free acid was also investigated.     

Spectrophotometric determination of plutonium III, IV, and VI concentrations in nitric acid solution

The determination of the concentration of various valency states of plutonium is desirable in various stages of the Plutonium/Uranium Recovery by EXtraction (PUREX) process for the effective separation and purification of plutonium. A method is optimized for the quantitative spectrophotometric determination of Pu(III), Pu(IV) and Pu(VI) existing separately or in mixed oxidation states in 1.5?M nitric acid medium. Molar absorption co-efficient (??) for the major absorption peaks with baseline correction are evaluated. With these ?? data a method is proposed for determining the molar concentration of each oxidation state.     

Volumetric determination of uranium in a mixture of uranium and plutonium employing Fe(III) as titrant

Summary A method for the determination of U in the presence of Pu based on the reduction of U to U(IV) and Pu to Pu(III) by zinc amalgam followed by oxidimetry of U(IV) has been developed. Fe(III) perchlorate was chosen as the most suitable titrant for the selective oxidation of U(IV) as conventional oxidising titrants fail in the presence of Pu(III). The potentiometric titration of U(IV) with Fe(III) is known to be slow. This problem, however, has been overcome by selecting a suitable buffer medium and complexing agent to alter the potentials of the Fe(III)/Fe(II) and U(VI)/U(IV) systems in the favourable direction. Results of the titration of U(IV) with Fe(III) at pH 2 in the presence of ferrozine as complexing agent for Fe(II) are summarized. R.S.D. obtained for twenty determinations of 3–5 mg of U was 0.3 % in the presence of 1–4 mg of Pu.

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Volumetrische Bestimmung von Uran in einem U/Pu-Gemisch mit Hilfe von Fe(III)

Zusammenfassung Das Verfahren beruht auf der Reduktion von U zu U(IV) und Pu zu Pu(III) mit Hilfe von Zinkamalgam und anschließender Titration mit Fe(III)-perchlorat. Dieses Reagens hat sich für die selektive Oxidation des U(IV) am besten bewährt, da andere Oxidationsmittel in Gegenwart von Pu(III) versagen. Die Endpunktsindikation erfolgt potentiometrisch, wobei die an sich langsame Einstellung des Endpunktes dadurch beschleunigt wird, daß durch Zusatz eines geeigneten Puffers und eines Komplexierungsmittels (Ferrozin) für Fe(II) die Redoxpotentiale von Fe(III)/Fe(II) und U(VI)/U(IV) entsprechend verschoben werden. Die relative Standardabweichung für die Bestimmung von 3–5 mg U in Gegenwart von 1–4 mg Pu liegt bei 0,3%.

     

Determination of uranium and plutonium in plutonium based fuels by sequential amperometric titration

A method is described for the sequential determination of uranium and plutonium in plutonium bearing fuel materials. Uranium and plutonium are reduced to U(IV) and Pu(III) with titanous chloride and then titrated with dichromate to two end points which are detected amperometrically using two polarized platinum electrodes. Uranium-plutonium solutions of known concentrations containing plutonium in the proportions of 4, 30, 50, and 70% were analyzed with precisions better than 0.3%, maintaining the amounts of plutonium per aliquot in the range of 2–10 mg. No significant bias could be detected. Several samples of (U, Pu)O₂ and (U, Pu)C were analyzed by this procedure. The effects of iron, fluoride, oxalic acid and mellitic acid on the method were also studied.     

Determination of plutonium by two-step flow-coulometry at the column electrode

A two-step flow-coulometry method has been developed for rapid determination of elements (plutonium, iron, etc) which exist in various oxidation states in solution, and applied to the determination of plutonium in 0.5M sulphuric acid medium. The first-step column electrode potential is fixed at between +0.10 and +0.35 V vs. Ag-AgCl, and all plutonium ions are reduced to Pu(III). The second-step column electrode potential is fixed at +0.75 V vs. Ag-AgCl, and Pu(III) which flows from the first column electrode is oxidized to Pu(IV). The quantity of plutonium is determined from the number of coulombs used in the oxidation. It is possible to eliminate interference by diverse ions by electroanalysis at the first column electrode. About a 10-mul sample is necessary and the electrolysis for determination is finished in 1 min.     

Effect of mixed solvent media on the sorption and separation of uranium and plutonium on macroporous resins

Ion-exchange studies on uranium and plutonium using macroporous (MP) anion-exchange resins from an aqueous-organic solvent mixed media were carried out to develop a separation method. Out of the several water miscible organic solvents tried methanol and acetone were found to be best suited. Distribution data were obtained for U(VI) and Pu(IV) using three macroporous resins under various parameters. Based on these data, separation factors for Pu/U were calculated. Column experiments using Tulsion A-27(MP) were also carried out. The method has the advantage of loading plutonium from as low as 1M nitric acid in the presence of methanol or acetone and could be used satisfactorily for its recovery from solutions containing plutonium and uranium.