A new bomb-combustion system for tritium extraction.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Radiochemistry

Background:

• Quantitative tritium extraction is crucial for measuring low-energy beta emitters.
• Traditional oxidative pyrolysis has limitations with large, organic-rich samples, restricting sample mass to <1 g.
• This limitation impacts detection limits and sample representativeness, especially for heterogeneous waste.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel high-capacity oxygen combustion bomb (Hyperbaric Oxidiser; HBO2) for tritium extraction.
• To overcome the limitations of conventional pyrolysis for organic-rich sample matrices.
• To enable quantitative tritium recovery from larger sample masses (20-30 g).

Main Methods:

• Development of the Hyperbaric Oxidiser (HBO2) system by Raddec International Ltd and GAU-Radioanalytical.
• Utilizing excess oxygen within a combustion bomb for sample oxidation.
• Quantitative combustion of sample masses up to 20-30 g.

Main Results:

• The HBO2 system facilitates quantitative combustion of larger sample masses (20-30 g).
• Enables efficient tritium liberation from a wider range of sample types, including organic-rich materials.
• Addresses the limitations of traditional pyrolysis regarding sample size and combustion completeness.

Conclusions:

• The Hyperbaric Oxidiser (HBO2) offers a significant advancement in tritium extraction methodology.
• It allows for improved detection limits and more representative subsampling of heterogeneous materials.
• This new system enhances the capability for accurate tritium measurement in diverse sample matrices.