A green analytical approach for the direct non-destructive compositional analysis of (Th, U)O2 fuel pellets by the X-Ray Fluorescence technique using single universal calibration. Issue 4 (7th March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kanrar, Buddhadev; Sanyal, Kaushik; Pai, Rajesh V.
• Is Part Of: Journal of analytical atomic spectrometry. Volume 37:Issue 4(2022)
• Page Start: 741
• Page End: 749
• Publication Date: 2022-03-07
• Subjects: Atomic spectra -- Periodicals; Atomic absorption spectroscopy -- Periodicals; 543.0858
• DOI: 10.1039/d2ja00005a
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0267-9477

Abstract

Abstract : TRITON-based dispersion methodology (Method 1) and touchstone-based methodology (Method 2) for the direct non-destructive compositional analysis of (Th, U)O2 fuel pellets. Abstract : (Th, U)O2 -based mixed oxide (MOX) fuel is the proposed fuel for advanced heavy water reactors (AHWRs), which belong to the third stage of the three-stage Indian nuclear power programme. The composition of these types of mixed oxide fuels is one of the key parameters in chemical quality control. In the present work, a green analytical methodology has been developed utilizing the micro-X-Ray Fluorescence (micro-XRF) technique for the compositional analysis of these types of fuel pellets. Two different sample preparation methods have been proposed in this work. In Method 1, ≈500–600 μg powder sample scratched from the surface of the pellets was dispersed homogeneously in 1% TRITON solution, and a few hundred nanograms of the sample was deposited on a sample support for micro-XRF analysis. In Method 2, different portions of the pellet made contact with a Scotch tape sample support to transfer a few hundred nanograms of the sample, which was further used for micro-XRF measurements. Both of these methodologies do not require a cumbersome dissolution process in corrosive acids. Moreover, only a few hundred nanograms of the sample amount are sufficient for both methods. Using both sample preparation methodologies, 8 samples in the form of MOX fuel pellets were analyzed, and the results were compared with those obtained from the previously established total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) technique. The accuracy and precision obtained using Method 1 are 3.06% and 0.99%, respectively, and for Method 2, they are 3.79% and 2.96%, respectively. These methodologies require only a single calibration (or relative sensitivity measurement) for the analysis of all MOX fuel pellets regardless of the composition.