Optimization of the method for determination of ⁷⁹Se in radioactive waste by distillation

The goal was to optimize the distillation method for separating ⁷⁹Se. For monitoring the recovery of selenium was added tracer radionuclide ⁷⁵Se and for the detection was used HPGe detector. The conditions for the effective distillation of selenium in HCl environments with different concentration, influence of volume of 18.31 mol dm^-3 HBr and the amount of alcohol taken off were followed. The highest yields ⁷⁵Se (90.6 to 91.5)% were in medium (4 to 6.5) mol dm^-3 HCl, HBr, along with the volume (3-7) cm³. The maximum yields of (86-91)% the distillation of a solution of 50 cm³ were obtained at the taking of the distillate with a volume of 35 cm³. At present the amount of the carrier Be⁴⁺ is optimized, followed by the separation procedure for determining ⁷⁹Se applied to real samples of radioactive waste from nuclear power plants in Slovakia. (authors)