Spatial investigation of some uranium minerals using nuclear microprobe

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F61389005%3A_____%2F18%3A00490631" target="_blank" >RIV/61389005:_____/18:00490631 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00269-017-0940-z" target="_blank" >http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00269-017-0940-z</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00269-017-0940-z" target="_blank" >10.1007/s00269-017-0940-z</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Spatial investigation of some uranium minerals using nuclear microprobe

Original language description

In this work, several individual grains of uranium minerals-uraninite with high content of Ca, Ca-rich boltwoodite, growths of uranophane with beta-uranophane, and weeksite-from different uranium deposits were studied by a scanning nuclear microprobe. Particle-induced X-ray emission technique provided by the microprobe (A mu-PIXE) was carried out to obtain a concentration and 2D distribution of elements in these minerals. In addition, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS) provided by a scanning electron microscope was used. The types of minerals were determined by X-ray diffraction methods. Results of this study improved the understanding of trace elemental composition of the uranium minerals depending on their origin. Obtained signatures could be linked then to the sample provenance. Such data are important for nuclear forensics to identify the ore types and even specific ore bodies, when only small samples may be available for analysis. In this study, the A mu-PIXE technique was used for obtaining the 2D distribution of trace elements that are not commonly measured by SEM-EDS at the relevant concentrations. The detected levels and precisions of elements determination by A mu-PIXE were also defined. Using A mu-PIXE, several micro mineral inclusions such as phosphate with high level of V and Si were identified. The age of the uranium minerals was estimated due to a significant content of radiogenic Pb that provides an additional parameter for determination of the main attributive characteristics of the minerals. This work also showed that due to its high elemental sensitivity the nuclear microprobe can be a new analytical tool for creating a nuclear forensic database from the known uranium deposits and a subsequent analysis of the intercepted illicit materials.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

10304 - Nuclear physics

Project

—

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2018

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Physics and Chemistry of Minerals

ISSN

0342-1791

e-ISSN

—

Volume of the periodical

45

Issue of the periodical within the volume

6

Country of publishing house

US - UNITED STATES

Number of pages

15

Pages from-to

533-547

UT code for WoS article

000434253500004

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85039985706