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International interlaboratory compilation of trace element concentrations in the CUP-2 uranium ore concentrate standard

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Abstract

A nuclear forensics investigation involving a uranium ore concentrate relies on accurate and precise analysis of impurities. Analytical data defensibility requires the use of reference materials as part of quality control. This study presents a compilation of trace element concentration results of the CUP-2 Uranium Ore Concentrate Standard measured by 11 different laboratories. The laboratories employed various dissolution methods, analytical preparation methods, and instrumental platforms. The data presented here contain concentrations of 66 impurities with up to 138 individual data points for each impurity. Consensus values have been assigned to each impurity following a statistical analysis of the data set.

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Acknowledgements

The data compilation, data analysis, and manuscript authorship were made possible with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Nuclear Verification and Office of Nuclear Smuggling Detection and Deterrence. AWE plc is thanked for support in funding this research. The Canadian Institutions and authors were supported by the Canadian Safety and Security Program, a federal program led by Defence Research and Development Canada's Centre for Security Science, in partnership with Public Safety Canada. For the work conducted at the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, funding was provided by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, under the auspices of the Federal Nuclear Science and Technology Program. Roxanne Collins and Carrie Broome from Canadian Nuclear Laboratories are acknowledged for their contribution to the analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nuclear and Radiochemistry Group, Chemistry Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA

    Joanna S. Denton, William Kinman, Zsuzsanna Macsik & Robert. E. Steiner

  2. AWE, Aldermaston, RG7 4PR, UK

    Philip Kaye

  3. Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, 286 Plant Rd, Chalk River, ON, K0J 1J0, Canada

    Ike Dimayuga, Youqing Shi & Marina Totland

  4. Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission Laboratory, 3484 Limebank Rd, Ottawa, ON, K1V 1E1, Canada

    Slobodan V. Jovanovic & Tara Kell

  5. National Monitoring Section, Radiation Protection Bureau, Health Canada, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, ON, K1A 1C1, Canada

    Stephen Kiser & Jean-Francois Mercier

  6. National Research Council Canada, Ionizing Radiation Standards, 1200 Montreal Road, Ottawa, ON, M-35K1A 0R6, Canada

    Patrick R. B. Saull

  7. Directorate for Nuclear Safety and Security, European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), P.O. Box 2340, 76125, Karlsruhe, Germany

    Klaus Mayer, Zsolt Varga & Maria Wallenius

  8. Nuclear and Chemical Sciences Division, Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, CA, 94551, USA

    Rachel E. Lindvall

  9. Actinide Analytical Chemistry Group, Chemistry Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA

    E. Miller Wylie

  10. Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, USA

    Debra A. Bostick, Cole R. Hexel, Benjamin T. Manard & Brian W. Ticknor

  11. Analytical Sciences Group and the SLOWPOKE-2 Facility, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Station Forces, PO Box 17000, Kingston, ON, K7K 7B4, Canada

    Fiona Kelly & Pavel Samuleev

  12. Department of Safeguards, International Atomic Energy Agency, PO Box 100, 1400, Vienna, Austria

    Sergei F. Boulyga, J. Alan Cunningham & Joe Hiess

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  1. Joanna S. Denton
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  13. Stephen Kiser
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  14. Rachel E. Lindvall
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  15. Zsuzsanna Macsik
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  16. Benjamin T. Manard
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  21. Youqing Shi
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  23. Brian W. Ticknor
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Correspondence to Joanna S. Denton.

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Zsuzsanna Macsik: work performed at Department of Safeguards, International Atomic Energy Agency, PO Box 100, 1400 Vienna, Austria. Benjamin T. Manard: work performed at Actinide Analytical Chemistry Group, Chemistry Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA.

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Denton, J.S., Bostick, D.A., Boulyga, S.F. et al. International interlaboratory compilation of trace element concentrations in the CUP-2 uranium ore concentrate standard. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 332, 2817–2832 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-022-08397-9

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