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A precise uranium assay using solvent extraction and spectrophotometry

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Abstract

The uranium spectrophotometric measurement using the uranylnitrate-quaternaryamine solvent extraction method is investigated to identify factors that affect precision and accuracy of the uranium determination. The inherent spectrophotometric precision was measured with neutral density filters in the sample light path and was found to be <0.1% relative standard deviation (RSD). Under selected experimental conditions, temperature instability has a −0.02% effect on the extraction, and a −0.4% effect on the absorbance of the uranium extract in 2-nitropropane (2-NP) or methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) solvents. Under optimum conditions at the 10 mg uranium level, RSDs of ∼0.1% resulted.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemical and Laser Sciences Division, MS G740 Los Alamos National Laboratory, 87545, Los Alamos, NM, USA

    P. G. Mendoza Jr & D. D. Jackson

  2. Department of Chemistry, University of New Mexico, 87131, albuquerque, NM, USA

    T. M. Niemczyk

Authors
  1. P. G. Mendoza Jr
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  2. D. D. Jackson
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  3. T. M. Niemczyk
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Mendoza, P.G., Jackson, D.D. & Niemczyk, T.M. A precise uranium assay using solvent extraction and spectrophotometry. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Articles 141, 357–371 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02035803

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02035803

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