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Characterization of uranium and thorium containing minerals by nuclear microscopy

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Abstract

Radioactive minerals of the gneiss of Sopron Mountains were analysed by micro-PIXE method at the Debrecen scanning nuclear microprobe. Zircon and monazite minerals were identified with detectable amount of U and Th. Qualitative elemental maps and quantitative concentration data were obtained on 20 minerals. U and Th concentrations were between few 100 ppm and 10 wt%. The size of the minerals varied between few micrometers and 100 microns, the distribution of U and Th within the grains was inhomogeneous. These radioactive minerals occurred in veins enriched with Fe.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the European Union and the State of Hungary, co-financed by the European Social Fund in the framework of TÁMOP 4.2.4.A/2-11-1-2012-0001 ‘National Excellence Program’. This paper was supported by the János Bolyai Research Scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Ion Beam Applications, Institute for Nuclear Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Bem tér 18/c, Debrecen, 4026, Hungary

    Zsófia Kertész, Enikő Furu & Anikó Angyal

  2. Department of Atomic Physics, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter stny. 1/A, Budapest, 1117, Hungary

    Ágnes Freiler & Ákos Horváth

  3. Geological and Geophysical Institute of Hungary, Stefánia út 14, Budapest, 1143, Hungary

    Ágnes Freiler & Kálmán Török

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  1. Zsófia Kertész
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  2. Enikő Furu
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  5. Kálmán Török
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Correspondence to Zsófia Kertész.

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Kertész, Z., Furu, E., Angyal, A. et al. Characterization of uranium and thorium containing minerals by nuclear microscopy. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 306, 283–288 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-015-4175-5

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