Development of a rapid methodology for the accurate determination of gallium in plutonium using a ⁶⁸Ga tracer

The precise analysis of actinide materials is needed for regulatory and material analysis requirements. A suite of elements is analyzed in plutonium materials, requiring gram quantity samples to be processed. One element is gallium which requires purification from analytical interferences prior to measurement with wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WD-XRF). Current methods have limitations, requiring the use of large samples, glassware and a compromise on yield tracer. We report a new method, with the preparation of a ⁶⁸Ga tracer and a reduced scale analytical methodology using TK400 resin. This method reduces the required sample size by a factor of 10 and removes the requirement for glassware whilst maintaining method performance. (author)