On atomization of uranium in plutonium matrix using ETA-AAS

Atomization processes for uranium in aqueous media and in the presence of a plutonium matrix have been studied and a chemical mechanism is proposed. These studies have been utilized for the determination of uranium in plutonium by Electrothermal Atomization- Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (ETA-AAS) within the constraints of its stable carbide forming tendency and complexity caused by formation of plutonium suboxide at high temperatures. In spite of these limitations the analytical range obtained for determination of uranium is 2.5–100 ng with a sample aliquot of 5 μL containing 5 mg/mL plutonium concentration. The precision of the method is evaluated as 9% RSD. Received: 9 September 1997 / Revised: 29 December 1997 / Accepted: 31 December 1997