Rapid Plutonium Analyses by TTA Extractions Without the Usual Waste Headaches

D. P. DiPrete, C. C. DiPrete, S. L. Crump, J. E. Young

Westinghouse Savannah River Company

Recently a need arose in our laboratory to provide several hundred Pu-239 analyses within a three week turn-around window. The work was required in addition to the normal laboratory load, with a small radiochemistry lab/counting room staff of initially only 4. Current methods for plutonium analyses were based primarily on Eichrom’s Tru-Spec separations, which worked well for smaller volume loads. The volume and turn-around requirements of the customer forced a look back at various plutonium separation methods used in the past. A modification of an older thenoyltriflouroacetone (TTA) separation which generated characteristic ignitable mixed waste was enacted which made the required turn-around times of the customer attainable without the mixed waste problem. The method has been extended to cover a wide variety of sample types of varying plutonium isotopics as well as other radioisotopic variations. The methodology used, as well as some of the results of the analyses will be discussed.