Nanoscale Spatially Resolved Mapping of Uranium Enrichment

Spatially resolved analysis of uranium (U) isotopes in small volumes of actinide-bearing materials is critical for a variety of technical disciplines, including earth and planetary sciences, environmental monitoring, bioremediation, and the nuclear fuel cycle. However, achieving subnanometer-scale spatial resolution for such isotopic analysis is currently a challenge. By using atom probe tomography-a three-dimensional nanoscale characterisation technique-we demonstrate unprecedented nanoscale mapping of U isotopic enrichment with high sensitivity across various microstructural interfaces within small volumes (similar to 100 nm(3)) of depleted and low-enriched U alloyed with 10 wt% molybdenum that has different nominal enrichments of 0.20 and 19.75% U-235, respectively. We map enrichment in various morphologies of a U carbide phase, the adjacent gamma-UMo matrix, and across interfaces (e.g., carbide/matrix, grain boundary). Results indicate the U carbides were formed during casting, rather than retained from either highly enriched or depleted U feedstock materials. The approach presented here can be applied to study nanoscale variations of isotopic abundances in the broad class of actinide-bearing materials, providing unique insights into their origins and thermomechanical processing routes.