Enhanced Oxygen Isotope Determination in Uranium Oxides Using BrF5 Fluorination

• DOI: 10.1111/ggr.12160
• Publication Date: 2016-12-13T20:26:49Z
• Authors: Malorie Dierick; Éric Pili; Nelly Assayag; Pierre Agrinier
• Keywords: Uranium dioxide; Uranium oxide

A new method for accurate determination of oxygen isotopes in uranium oxides encountered the nuclear fuel cycle was developed using conventional BrF 5 fluorination technique. Laser‐assisted tested comparison. We focused on fine powders triuranium octoxide (U 3 O 8 ), dioxide (UO 2±x with 0 ≤ x 0.25), trioxide . n H 2 O, 0.8 2) and diuranates (M U 7 M = NH 4 , Na or Mg 0.5 6). Fluorination at room temperature heating under vacuum 150 °C are shown to eliminate both adsorbed structural water from powder samples. Precision fit purpose δ 18 values (± 0.3‰, 1 s ) yields (close 100%) were obtained UO where is only bound uranium. lower precision observed present bonded extracted 2(g) can be contaminated by NF NO compounds. gave shifted between +0.8 +1.4‰ around −0.8‰ −3.9 −4.5‰ compared method.