Isotope Ratio Measurements for Uranium by Quadrupole-based Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. Application in Thorium Fuel Research

This paper presents the possibility of using ICP-MS for the determination of total U and its isotopes: U-232, U-233, U-234, U-235, U-236, U-238 in different uranium compounds. The limit of detection (LOD) for U-238 in standard solution was 10 pg g-1. To obtain lower LOD, ultrasonic nebulizer U 6000AT+ was tested. To obtain accurate results in isotopic analysis, all potential interferences were investigated and necessary corrections were fixed experimentally. Elaborated analytical procedures were applied to the analysis of uranium samples for their characterization, as well as to the determination of U isotopes separated from irradiated thorium oxide.