A Direct Non-destructive Method for Determination of Sulfur in Ore Samples Using EDXRF Spectrometry

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Nuclear Engineering

Background:

• Accurate sulfur determination is crucial for optimizing uranium recovery processes.
• Existing methods for sulfur analysis in uranium ores can be destructive or lack precision.
• The alkaline recovery process for uranium generates solid intermediates requiring robust analytical techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a direct, non-destructive method for sulfur determination in solid uranium ores and intermediates.
• To establish a reliable analytical procedure using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF).
• To validate the method's accuracy and precision for samples from alkaline uranium recovery.

Main Methods:

• Sample preparation involved grinding solid samples to a fine powder and mixing with collodion solution to form a paste.
• Thin slurry specimens were prepared on Mylar films for EDXRF analysis.
• Calibration was performed using certified reference materials (CRMs) by plotting S Kα intensity ratios against sulfur content.

Main Results:

• The developed EDXRF method achieved a precision within 5% (±1σ).
• Analytical results showed a deviation within 7% from the expected values of CRMs.
• The method demonstrated successful application in analyzing sulfur content at various stages of uranium ore processing.

Conclusions:

• The direct, non-destructive EDXRF method provides accurate and precise sulfur determination in solid uranium ores and intermediates.
• This technique is suitable for quality control during alkaline uranium recovery processes.
• The developed methodology offers a valuable tool for the analysis of geological and industrial samples containing sulfur.