High accuracy plutonium mass determination by controlled-potential coulometry

Abstract

Controlled-potential coulometry is an assay method for determining the quantity of a given element from the measurement of a quantity of electricity. This method has the advantage of not being related to a chemical standard, having an extremely high trueness and reproducibility, and using low sample amounts. Nowadays, equipments intended to carry out coulometry with high trueness (typically uncertainties close to 0.1%) is seldom encountered. In order to arrive to such low uncertainties, the whole process, from the preparation of the sample test to thestorage of the material had to be refined. The qualification of the method was carried out thanks to the use of EQRAIN standard solutions. The coulometric proportioning of plutonium coming from pure solutions (without interfering elements) was extended to the proportioning of plutonium in the presence of uranium, which makes the technique not only a method of choice for standard solution certification but also appropriate for carrying out precise analyses assessments of different processes used in nuclear medium.