Identification of iodoorganic compounds in kerosene from nuclear fuel reprocessing

In kerosene samples from nuclear fuel reprocessing, iodoalkanes with chain-lengths from C₄ to C₁₃ have been identified. The kerosene samples were purified by means of solid-phase extraction. By this method other fission products like¹²⁵Sb and¹⁰⁶Ru were quantitatively removed from the solution. The only remaining radioactive nuclide was thus¹²⁹I. The iodoorganic compounds in the kerosene from the solvent were enriched from 6000 Bq/L to 100 000 Bq/L¹²⁹I by vacuum distillation. Chromatographic separation by HPLC, fractionation, and -measurement of the fractions showed that at least one polar and one nonpolar iodoorganic compound were present. Derivatisation of the iodoorganic compounds with, 1,4-diazabicyclo-2,2,2-octane to quatermary ammonium salts and²⁵²Cf plasma desorption mass spectrometry of the products revealed that the main iodoorganic constituents in the kerosene were iodobutane as polar and iodododecane as nonpolar compound in approximately equal concentrations.