Development of an ICP-AES-based Method for the Trace Level Determination of Common Analytes in a Thorium Matrix Without Chemical Separation

摘要

Generally, ICP-AES-based methods for trace metal assay of nuclear materials require prior separation of the major matrix to avoid spectral interference from an emission-rich matrix like U, Pu, Zr, Th, Am, etc. In the present work, an attempt was made to develop a methodology for the direct determination of analytes in a thorium matrix without any chemical separation. This study includes the systematic investigation of the spectral interference of Th on the different analytical lines of Al, Ba, Bi, Ca, Ga, In, Mg, Na, Pb, Sr, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Ni. Due to the advancement of the CCD-based detector, the option of choosing alternative/additional analytical lines increases, which in turn helps in identifying relatively interference-free analytical lines for the selected elements. Sometimes the least interfered lines may not show the best analytical performance; hence, the analytical performance of these analytical lines was investigated.