Distinguishing secondary uranium mineralizations in uranium ore using LIBS imaging
Result description
The main aim of this work is to demonstrate the potential of LIBS as a complementary technique to electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) for distinguishing and characterizing uranium mineralizations. Combining both methods can help estimate uranium oxidation states and monitor the possible mobilization of uranium in the environment by detecting oxygen and hydrogen using LIBS. It was confirmed that the LIBS signal of oxygen is proportional to oxygen content and that the strength of the oxygen signal is closely related to the oxidation state of uranium. The second assumption that the hydrogen signal is closely related to water (or hydroxyl group) content was also confirmed by detecting a stronger hydrogen signal from the presumed secondary mineralization. In contrast, hydrogen was not found in uraninite and quartz.When superimposed, images obtained with LIBS and EPMA show a clearly visible contrast between primary and secondary uranium mineralizations. Images of uranium obtained with the two techniques match perfectly, while the LIBS image of oxygen confirms the presence of an oxidized form of secondary uranium minerals (uranophane). The LIBS image of hydrogen clearly shows mineral phases containing water or a hydroxyl group, confirming that uranophane and other associated minerals contain greater amounts of hydrogen (water).
Keywords
Geological samplesSecondary mineralizationUranium mineralizationUraniumElemental mappingElemental imagingLIBS
The result's identifiers
Result code in IS VaVaI
Alternative codes found
RIV/00216224:14310/23:00131713
Result on the web
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
Alternative languages
Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Distinguishing secondary uranium mineralizations in uranium ore using LIBS imaging
Original language description
The main aim of this work is to demonstrate the potential of LIBS as a complementary technique to electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) for distinguishing and characterizing uranium mineralizations. Combining both methods can help estimate uranium oxidation states and monitor the possible mobilization of uranium in the environment by detecting oxygen and hydrogen using LIBS. It was confirmed that the LIBS signal of oxygen is proportional to oxygen content and that the strength of the oxygen signal is closely related to the oxidation state of uranium. The second assumption that the hydrogen signal is closely related to water (or hydroxyl group) content was also confirmed by detecting a stronger hydrogen signal from the presumed secondary mineralization. In contrast, hydrogen was not found in uraninite and quartz.When superimposed, images obtained with LIBS and EPMA show a clearly visible contrast between primary and secondary uranium mineralizations. Images of uranium obtained with the two techniques match perfectly, while the LIBS image of oxygen confirms the presence of an oxidized form of secondary uranium minerals (uranophane). The LIBS image of hydrogen clearly shows mineral phases containing water or a hydroxyl group, confirming that uranophane and other associated minerals contain greater amounts of hydrogen (water).
Czech name
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Czech description
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Classification
Type
Jimp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database
CEP classification
—
OECD FORD branch
10505 - Geology
Result continuities
Project
EF16_026/0008459: Long-term research of geochemical barriers for nuclear waste disposal
Continuities
V - Vyzkumna aktivita podporovana z jinych verejnych zdroju
Others
Publication year
2023
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů
Data specific for result type
Name of the periodical
SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA PART B-ATOMIC SPECTROSCOPY
ISSN
0584-8547
e-ISSN
1873-3565
Volume of the periodical
206
Issue of the periodical within the volume
August 2023
Country of publishing house
NL - THE KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS
Number of pages
9
Pages from-to
—
UT code for WoS article
001060797800001
EID of the result in the Scopus database
2-s2.0-85162861505
Basic information
Result type
Jimp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database
OECD FORD
Geology
Year of implementation
2023