Isolation and quantification of Fe-55 and Ni-63 in reactor effluents using extraction chromatography and liquid scintillation analysis

摘要

A novel extraction chromatographic resin based on diisobutyl ketone has been developed for the isolation of Fe-55. This material has been used in conjunction with a dimethylglyoxime-based resin for the sequential separation of Fe-55 and Ni-63 and isolation of these radionuclides from associated contaminants. The preparation and characterisation of these resins is described along with an assessment of their performance for the isolation of Fe-55 and Ni-63 from a mixture of nuclear activation products. In addition, a refined approach for the measurement of these nuclides by liquid scintillation counting is discussed. The findings of these studies have been combined to develop a robust procedure for the analysis of Fe-55 and Ni-63 in reactor effluents which is now the preferred method for a number of UK analytical laboratories. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.