Methodology for the Preparation and Validation of Plutonium Age Dating Materials

Anal Chem. 2018 Mar 20;90(6):4019-4024. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.7b05204. Epub 2018 Feb 27.

Abstract

The present work describes a method for the preparation and validation of plutonium age dating reference materials. The test samples prepared in this context could be used to validate experimental protocols for determining the production date of plutonium via the 234U/238Pu, 235U/239Pu, 236U/240Pu, and 241Am/241Pu chronometers. The starting material was prepared using reactor-grade plutonium, which was purified using a dedicated method to guarantee high Pu recovery, while maximizing U and Am separation efficiencies. The U and Am separation factors were determined by the addition of high-amounts of 233U and 243Am spikes and their remeasurement in the final product. The prepared material is intended for quality control and assessment of method performance in nuclear forensics and safeguards.