JOURNAL OF RADIOANALYTICAL AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY, cilt.296, sa.1, ss.447-451, 2013 (SCI-Expanded)
The isotope dilution mass spectrometry method of analysis is used to determine the elemental uranium contents in a wide variety of uranium bearing materials. The method is based on the mass spectrometric analysis of a mixture prepared by diluting the sample to be analyzed with a spike of distinctly different isotopic composition to that of the sample. In this work, a beginning is made to identify suitable candidates among the multitude of certified reference materials (CRMs) available at the New Brunswick Laboratory to supplant the use of U-233 which remains now as the preferred spike nuclide. The results of the study presented here identify CRM 112-A (of normal isotopic composition) and CRM 115 (depleted uranium composition) as suitable candidates to replace U-233 as spike material for determining uranium in high enriched uranium materials, and CRM 116 (U-235 mass fraction of > 90 %) for determining uranium in materials of low enrichment.