¹⁴⁷Nd quantification using HSCCC-purified samples

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Chemistry
• Radiochemistry
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Accurate quantification of fission products like neodymium-147 (¹⁴⁷Nd) is crucial for nuclear forensics.
• Effective separation of ¹⁴⁷Nd from complex matrices like nuclear debris is essential for precise measurement.
• Established methods like high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) exist but can be time-consuming.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a novel high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) method for purifying ¹⁴⁷Nd.
• To compare the speed, accuracy, and precision of HSCCC with existing HPLC methods for ¹⁴⁷Nd separation.
• To assess the reliability and applicability of HSCCC for quantifying ¹⁴⁷Nd in nuclear forensic samples.

Main Methods:

• Purification of ¹⁴⁷Nd from mixed fission product solutions using HSCCC.
• Quantification of purified ¹⁴⁷Nd using gamma-ray spectrometry.
• Assessment of sample purity and quantification of potential contaminants (e.g., ¹⁴³Pr) using gas-flow proportional beta decay counting.

Main Results:

• The HSCCC method achieved faster elution of ¹⁴⁷Nd compared to HPLC.
• Accurate and precise quantification of ¹⁴⁷Nd was obtained using HSCCC followed by gamma-ray spectrometry.
• Consistent elution profiles were observed across a wide range of rare earth element (REE) loadings (10 orders of magnitude).
• Minor contamination from ¹⁴³Pr was detected but did not prevent accurate ¹⁴⁷Nd quantification.

Conclusions:

• HSCCC is a reliable and rapid technique for the separation and quantification of ¹⁴⁷Nd in nuclear forensic applications.
• The method demonstrates utility for analyzing unknown samples due to its speed and consistent performance.
• While HSCCC has higher initial equipment costs, its operational costs are comparable to HPLC, making it a viable alternative.