¹⁴⁷Nd quantification using HSCCC-purified samples

Affiliations

¹ Chemistry-Nuclear and Radiochemistry (C-NR), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Mail Stop J-514, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA. Electronic address: aweberg@lanl.gov.
² Materials Synthesis and Integrated Devices (MPA-11), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Mail Stop J-514, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA.
³ Chemistry-Nuclear and Radiochemistry (C-NR), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Mail Stop J-514, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA.
⁴ Chemistry-Nuclear and Radiochemistry (C-NR), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Mail Stop J-514, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA; Inorganic, Isotope, and Actinide Chemistry (C-IIAC), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Mail Stop J-514, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA.

PMID: 41046600
DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2025.128916

¹⁴⁷Nd quantification using HSCCC-purified samples

Alexander B Weberg et al. Talanta. 2025.

. 2025 Sep 26;298(Pt A):128916.

doi: 10.1016/j.talanta.2025.128916. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Chemistry-Nuclear and Radiochemistry (C-NR), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Mail Stop J-514, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA. Electronic address: aweberg@lanl.gov.
² Materials Synthesis and Integrated Devices (MPA-11), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Mail Stop J-514, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA.
³ Chemistry-Nuclear and Radiochemistry (C-NR), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Mail Stop J-514, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA.
⁴ Chemistry-Nuclear and Radiochemistry (C-NR), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Mail Stop J-514, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA; Inorganic, Isotope, and Actinide Chemistry (C-IIAC), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Mail Stop J-514, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA.

PMID: 41046600
DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2025.128916

Abstract

Quantifying the fission product ¹⁴⁷Nd in nuclear debris samples is an important component of post-detonation nuclear forensics. The most accurate quantifications are obtained when Nd is purified from all other fission products, actinides, activation products, and environmental matrix contained within the debris. In this study, a recently developed method for Nd purification was tested, purifying ¹⁴⁷Nd from solutions of mixed fission products using high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC). Importantly, the new method allowed for faster elution of Nd from the column as compared with established high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods, and resulted in accurate/precise ¹⁴⁷Nd quantification by gamma-ray spectrometry. While the up-front equipment costs associated with HSCCC may be higher, its operational costs are on par with those of HPLC (solvents, extractants, power). Gas-flow proportional beta decay counting revealed contamination from the nearest neighbor lanthanide ¹⁴³Pr (a gamma-silent radioisotope) in the HSCCC-purified samples, but the activity contribution from ¹⁴⁷Nd could still be quantified. Remarkably consistent elution profiles were observed for the HSCCC method, spanning rare earth element (REE) loadings of more than 10 orders of magnitude (tracer to mmol quantities). The reliability and speed of the new method suggest utility for the rapid separation and quantification of ¹⁴⁷Nd in unknown samples.

Keywords: HSCCC; Nd-147; Nuclear forensics; Purification; REE.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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¹⁴⁷Nd quantification using HSCCC-purified samples

Affiliations

¹⁴⁷Nd quantification using HSCCC-purified samples

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Research Materials