PREPARATION OF ALPHA-SPECTROMETRIC SOURCES BY COPRECIPITATION WITH FE(OH)(3) - APPLICATION TO ACTINIDES

A method for the preparation of alpha-spectrometric sources of actinid es by coprecipitation, using Fe(OH)(3) as carrier, was investigated an d applied to plutonium, americium and thorium. The pore size of the fi lters and the suitability of the addition of a substrate portion in or der to saturate such pores was studied to provide optimal results. In the application to plutonium, americium and thorium, the influence of the amount of carrier and the addition of an activator (seeding) are d iscussed in detail for each element. In all cases, the procedure gives almost quantitative yields and spectra with a FWHM of about 40-60 keV when appropriate amounts of Fe(OH), are used. Because of its very low specific activity, the presence of Th-232 in the sample was studied a s a special case. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.