ASTM_C_1414_-_01_2014.pdf

Designation:C141401(Reapproved 2014)Standard Practice forThe Separation of Americium from Plutonium by IonExchange1This standard is issued under the fixed designation C1414;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon()indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1.Scope1.1 This practice describes the use of an ion exchangetechnique to separate plutonium from solutions containing lowconcentrations of americium prior to measurement ofthe241Am by gamma counting.1.2 This practice covers the removal of plutonium,but notall the other radioactive isotopes that may interfere in thedetermination of241Am.1.3 This practice can be used when241Am is to be deter-mined in samples in which the plutonium is in the form ofmetal,oxide,or other solid provided that the solid is appropri-ately sampled and dissolved(See Test Methods C758,C759,and C1168).1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns,if any,associated with its use.It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2C758 Test Methods for Chemical,Mass Spectrometric,Spectrochemical,Nuclear,and Radiochemical Analysis ofNuclear-Grade Plutonium MetalC759 Test Methods for Chemical,Mass Spectrometric,Spectrochemical,Nuclear,and Radiochemical Analysis ofNuclear-Grade Plutonium Nitrate SolutionsC1168 Practice for Preparation and Dissolution of PlutoniumMaterials for AnalysisC1268 Test Method for Quantitative Determination of Am-ericium 241 in Plutonium by Gamma-Ray SpectrometryD1193 Specification for Reagent Water3.Summary of Practice3.1 Plutonium is adsorbed from a nitric acid(HNO3)solu-tion(8 M)onto an anion exchange resin.Under theseconditions,a negligible amount of americium is adsorbed ontothe resin and may be determined by gamma counting of theeluate using Test Method C1268.4.Significance and Use4.1 This practice isapplicable when small amountsof241Am are present in plutonium samples(see Test MethodsC758 and C759).An example is the determination of241Am ina238Pu sample.The high specific activity of238Pu presents asafety hazard that precludes its presence in a counting facility.Therefore,it is necessary to remove the238Pu prior to thedetermination of241Am.4.2 When a plutonium solution contains fission or activationproducts,this practice does not separate all radionuclides thatinterfere in the determination of241Am,such as the rare earths.5.Interferences5.1 The presence of other gamma-ray emitting radionu-clides similar in energy to241Am or that interfere with gammacounting make the determination of241Am less accurate.Most+4 valence actinides are adsorbed on the resin.The distributioncoefficient for Am on this resin in nitric acid is less than 1,indicating insignificant adsorption.Therefore,this practice willseparate many elements that might interfere with gammacounting of241Am.5.1.1 The elements thorium,neptunium(IV),gold,platinum,iridium,and palladium are not quantitatively sepa-rated from plutonium by this procedure.6.Apparatus6.1 Anion exchange resin column(100-200 mesh),contain-ing quaternary ammonium functional groups(basic resin-chloride ionic form).36.2 Bottles,polyethylene,30 mL.6.3 Sample beaker,30 mL,borosilicate glass.1This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee C26 on NuclearFuel Cycle and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee C26.05 on Methods ofTest.Current edition approved Jan.1,2014.Published February 2014.Originallyapproved in 1999.Last previous edition approved in 2007 as C1414 01(2007).DOI:10.1520/C1414-01R14.2For referenced ASTM standards,visit the ASTM website,www.astm.org,orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org.For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information,refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.3Prefilled columns packed with AG 1-X8,available from Bio-Rad,Richmond,CA,have been found to be acceptable.Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 6.4 Hot plate.7.Reagents7.1 Purity of ReagentsReagent grade chemicals should beused in all tests.Unless otherwise indicated,it is intended thatall reagents conform to the specifications of the Committee onAnalytical Reagents of the American Chemical Society,wheresuch specifications are available.4Other grades may be used,provided that the reagent is first demonstrated to be ofsufficiently high purity to permit its use without lessening theaccuracy of the determination.7.2 Purity of WaterUnless otherwise indicated,referencesto water shall be understood to mean distilled or deionizedwater(Specification D1193).7.3 Nitric acid(HNO3),concentrated(sp gr 1.42).7.4 Hydrochloric acid(HCl),concentrated