Secondary ionization mass spectrometric analysis of impurity element isotope ratios in nuclear reactor materials

D. C. Gerlach; J. B. Cliff; D. E. Hurley; B. D. Reid; W. W. Little; G. H. Meriwether; A. J. Wickham; T. A. Simmons

doi:10.1016/j.apsusc.2006.02.221

Secondary ionization mass spectrometric analysis of impurity element isotope ratios in nuclear reactor materials

D. C. Gerlach, J. B. Cliff, D. E. Hurley, B. D. Reid, W. W. Little, G. H. Meriwether, A. J. Wickham, T. A. Simmons

Applied Materials Analysis

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

During reactor operations and fuel burn up, some isotopic abundances change due to nuclear reactions and provide sensitive indicators of neutron fluence and fuel burnup. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) analysis has been used to measure isotope ratios of selected impurity elements in irradiated nuclear reactor graphite. Direct SIMS measurements were made in graphite samples, following shaping and surface cleaning. Models predicting local fuel burnup based on isotopic measurements of B and Li isotopes by SIMS agreed well with U and Pu isotopic measurements obtained by thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS).

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	7041-7044
Number of pages	4
Journal	Applied Surface Science
Volume	252
Issue number	19
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2006.02.221
State	Published - Jul 30 2006

Funding

This research has been supported by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Keywords

Graphite
Isotope ratios
Nuclear reactors
SIMS

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10.1016/j.apsusc.2006.02.221

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title = "Secondary ionization mass spectrometric analysis of impurity element isotope ratios in nuclear reactor materials",

abstract = "During reactor operations and fuel burn up, some isotopic abundances change due to nuclear reactions and provide sensitive indicators of neutron fluence and fuel burnup. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) analysis has been used to measure isotope ratios of selected impurity elements in irradiated nuclear reactor graphite. Direct SIMS measurements were made in graphite samples, following shaping and surface cleaning. Models predicting local fuel burnup based on isotopic measurements of B and Li isotopes by SIMS agreed well with U and Pu isotopic measurements obtained by thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS).",

keywords = "Graphite, Isotope ratios, Nuclear reactors, SIMS",

author = "Gerlach, {D. C.} and Cliff, {J. B.} and Hurley, {D. E.} and Reid, {B. D.} and Little, {W. W.} and Meriwether, {G. H.} and Wickham, {A. J.} and Simmons, {T. A.}",

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T1 - Secondary ionization mass spectrometric analysis of impurity element isotope ratios in nuclear reactor materials

AU - Gerlach, D. C.

AU - Cliff, J. B.

AU - Hurley, D. E.

AU - Reid, B. D.

AU - Little, W. W.

AU - Meriwether, G. H.

AU - Wickham, A. J.

AU - Simmons, T. A.

PY - 2006/7/30

Y1 - 2006/7/30

N2 - During reactor operations and fuel burn up, some isotopic abundances change due to nuclear reactions and provide sensitive indicators of neutron fluence and fuel burnup. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) analysis has been used to measure isotope ratios of selected impurity elements in irradiated nuclear reactor graphite. Direct SIMS measurements were made in graphite samples, following shaping and surface cleaning. Models predicting local fuel burnup based on isotopic measurements of B and Li isotopes by SIMS agreed well with U and Pu isotopic measurements obtained by thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS).

AB - During reactor operations and fuel burn up, some isotopic abundances change due to nuclear reactions and provide sensitive indicators of neutron fluence and fuel burnup. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) analysis has been used to measure isotope ratios of selected impurity elements in irradiated nuclear reactor graphite. Direct SIMS measurements were made in graphite samples, following shaping and surface cleaning. Models predicting local fuel burnup based on isotopic measurements of B and Li isotopes by SIMS agreed well with U and Pu isotopic measurements obtained by thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS).

KW - Graphite

KW - Isotope ratios

KW - Nuclear reactors

KW - SIMS

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M3 - Article

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SN - 0169-4332

VL - 252

SP - 7041

EP - 7044

JO - Applied Surface Science

JF - Applied Surface Science

IS - 19

ER -

Secondary ionization mass spectrometric analysis of impurity element isotope ratios in nuclear reactor materials

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