Development of an automated microfluidic system for actinide separation and analysis.

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Nuclear Chemistry
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Radiochemical analysis often requires large sample volumes and is costly.
• Minimizing sample volume is crucial for cost reduction and safety (ALARA principle).
• Integrating microfluidic devices with mass spectrometry offers potential for improved analytical efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an efficient microfluidic device for radiochemical analysis.
• To enable direct, low-volume separation and quantification of uranium and trace elements.
• To reduce costs and operator interaction in actinide material analysis.

Main Methods:

• Development of a microfluidic device utilizing UTEVA® chromatographic resins.
• Separation of uranium from trace elements using varying nitric acid concentrations.
• Direct analysis of eluates via Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS).

Main Results:

• Successful separation of uranium from key trace elements was achieved.
• The microfluidic system enabled direct analysis of eluates with minimal sample volume.
• Significant reduction in sample volume and cost for trace elemental analysis was demonstrated.

Conclusions:

• The combined use of microfluidics and mass spectrometry offers substantial advantages in radiochemical analysis.
• This technology significantly reduces sample volume and analytical costs.
• The developed method supports the As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) principle in actinide material analysis.