In-field analysis of trace U and Pu by electrochemical pre-concentration

AwareAbility Technologies (AAT), in collaboration with The Ohio State University (OSU), proposes to develop a small hand-held analysis kit for in-field analysis of trace amounts of Uranium (U) and Plutonium (Pu) that will meet or exceed the requirements set by DTRA. Swipe, dust, or water samples would be analyzed by this kit for isotopes and isotopic ratios to indicate the special nuclear material (SNM) diversion in nuclear fuel cycle, clandestine enrichment activities in foreign weapon programs, and/or post-detonation forensics. The novelty of the idea is to preconcentrate U/Pu directly onto an electrode of an in-house fabricated semiconductor alpha detector by electrodeposition and then perform alpha spectroscopy on-site to provide quantitative measurements of U and Pu, along with their isotopic ratios, and concentrations. The U and Pu deposits will be electrochemically stripped so that the sensor is reusable.