Total reflection by synchrotron radiation:: trace determination in nuclear materials

The chemical control of impurities in nuclear materials is indispensable in order to ensure efficient operation of the reactors. The maximum concentration admitted depends on the elements and in most cases is in the parts per billion range. Conventional analytical methods require a preconcentration treatment of the sample and a previous separation of the matrix (uranium). In this work, we investigated the use of total reflection x-ray fluorescence with synchrotron radiation excitation as an alternative methodology for the determination of impurities in nuclear materials, namely K, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu and As. The detection limits obtained were in the range 0.1-20 ng ml(-1) for a 1000 s counting time. Copyright (C) 2002 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.