Simultaneous determination of the quantity and isotopic ratios of uranium in individual micro-particles by isotope dilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry (ID-TIMS)

•A method to determine the quantity and the isotopic ratios of uranium simultaneously was developed.•A mathematical model under a reasonable assumption was setup to determine isotopic ratios of uranium.•Verification of the applicability of the method was performed.•We revealed that the proposed method is useful for particle analysis.

A method to determine the quantity and isotopic ratios of uranium in individual micro-particles simultaneously by isotope dilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry (ID-TIMS) has been developed. This method consists of sequential sample and spike loading, ID-TIMS for isotopic measurement, and application of a series of mathematical procedures to remove the contribution of uranium in the spike. The homogeneity of evaporation and ionization of uranium content was confirmed by the consistent ratio of n(233U)/n(238U) determined by TIMS measurements. Verification of the method was performed using U030 solution droplets and U030 particles. Good agreements of resulting uranium quantity, n(235U)/n(238U), and n(236U)/n(238U) with the estimated or certified values showed the validity of this newly developed method for particle analysis when simultaneous determination of the quantity and isotopic ratios of uranium is required.

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