Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

LA-ICP-MS analysis of plastics as a method to support polymer assay in the assessment of materials for low-background detectors

  • Published:
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Ultra low-background radiation measurements are essential to several large-scale physics investigations. Assay of solid polymer materials for extremely low levels of radioactive elements, such as uranium, presents challenges. This paper describes an initial investigation into the use of laser ablation with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for screening a solid plastic, polyethylene, for gross uranium levels.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. European Commission, DG JRC, IRMM, Retieseweg 111, B-2440 Geel, Belgium, +32 (0) 14-571-722.

References

  1. Akerib DS, Barnes PD, Brink PL, Cabrera B, Clarke RM, Gaitskell RJ, Golwala SR, Huber ME, Kurylowicz M, Mandic V, Martinis JM, Meunier P, Mirabolfathi N, Nam SW, Perillo-Isaac M, Saab T, Sadoulet B, Schnee RW, Seitz DN, Shutt T, Smith GW, Stockwell WK, Sundqvist KM, White S (2008) Design and performance of a modular low-radioactivity readout system for cryogenic detectors in the cdms experiment. Instrum Methods Phys Res Sect A-Accel Spectrom Dect Assoc Equip, Nucl. doi:10.1016/j.nima.2008.03.103

    Google Scholar 

  2. Budja D, Gangapshev AM, Gasparro J, Hampel W, Heisel M, Heusser G, Hult M, Klimenko AA, Kuzminov VV, Laubenstein M, Maneschg W, Simgen H, Smolnikov AA, Tomei C, Vasiliev SI (2009) Gamma-ray spectrometry of ultra low levels of radioactivity within the material screening program for the gerda experiment. Radiat Isot, Appl. doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2009.01.019

    Google Scholar 

  3. Lawson I, Cleveland B (2011) Low background counting at snolab. In: Third Topical Workshop on Low Radioactivity Techniques: Lrt-2010, USA, 28–29 Aug. 2011. AIP Conference Proceedings (USA). doi:10.1063/1.3590910

  4. Mouchel D, Wordel R (1996) A low-energy hpge detector dedicated to radioactivity measurements far below environmental levels. In: Proceedings of the 1995 International Committee for Radionuclide Metrology Conference on Low-Level Measurement Techniques, Seville, Spain, 2–6 Oct. 1996. Appl Radiat Isot. doi:10.1016/s0969-8043(96)00102-9

  5. Nisi S, Di Vacri A, Di Vacri ML, Stramenga A, Laubenstein M (2009) Comparison of inductively coupled mass spectrometry and ultra low-level gamma-ray spectroscopy for ultra low background material selection. Radiat. Isot, Appl. doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2009.01.021

    Google Scholar 

  6. Arnquist I, Thomas LMP, LaFerriere BD, Grate J, Bliss M, Hoppe EW (2015) A dry ashing assay method for the trace determination of Th and U in polymers using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. J Radioanal Nucl Chem. doi:10.1007/s10967-015-4343-7

    Google Scholar 

  7. Hemmerlin M, Mermet JM (1996) Determination of elements in polymers by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry: Effect of the laser beam wavelength, energy and masking on the ablation threshold and efficiency. Acta Pt. B-Atom Spectrom, Spectroc. doi:10.1016/0584-8547(95)01451-9

    Google Scholar 

  8. Russo RE, Mao XL, Liu HC, Gonzalez J, Mao SS (2002) Laser ablation in analytical chemistry—a review. Talanta. doi:10.1016/s0039-9140(02)00053-x

    Google Scholar 

  9. Stehrer T, Heitz J, Pedarnig JD, Huber N, Aeschlimann B, Günther D, Scherndl H, Linsmeyer T, Wolfmeir H, Arenholz E (2010) La-icp-MS analysis of waste polymer materials. Bioanal Chem, Anal. doi:10.1007/s00216-010-3963-6

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Chelsie L. Beck for her contributions to the initial phases of this effort. This research was supported as part of the Ultrasensitive Nuclear Measurement Initiative (USNMI) by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), a multi-program national laboratory operated by Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). This manuscript has been authored by Battelle Memorial Institute under contract No. DE-AC05-76RL01830 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The United States Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the United States Government retains a non-exclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, world-wide license to publish or reproduce the published form of the manuscript, or allow others to do so, for United States Government purposes.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physical and Computational Sciences, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, PO Box 999, MS J4-60, Richland, WA, 99352, USA

    Jay W. Grate

  2. National Security, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, PO Box 999, MS J4-60, Richland, WA, 99352, USA

    Mary Bliss, Orville T. Farmer III, May-Lin P. Thomas & Martin Liezers

Authors
  1. Jay W. Grate
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mary Bliss
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Orville T. Farmer III
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. May-Lin P. Thomas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Martin Liezers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Orville T. Farmer III.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Grate, J.W., Bliss, M., Farmer, O.T. et al. LA-ICP-MS analysis of plastics as a method to support polymer assay in the assessment of materials for low-background detectors. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 307, 2201–2207 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-015-4600-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-015-4600-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation