An improved method for alpha-source preparation using neodymium fluoride coprecipitation

Coprecipitation on neodymium fluoride of actinides is a well known method f or the production of sources intended for a-spectrometry. The procedure is based on the fact that trivalent neodymium fluoride complexes form micropre cipitates in hydrochloric acid. This precipitate is membrane filtered and r etained on a filter. Fluoride complexes of the measured actinides are kept in another hydrochloric acid solution. When the latter solution is filtered , the actinide complexes are retained onto the neodymium fluoride. The filt ers are placed on planchet trays and spectra are measured using a semicondu ctor detector in a vacuum chamber. According to the literature, the standar d filtration method is vacuum filtration. In this work, a method based on p lastic filter holders and disposable syringes operated by a direct current motor has been developed. Control of the filtrate flow rate and the use of disposable equipment are attractive features of the method. Sources produce d with this method have been compared with sources prepared both by using v acuum filtration and by using electrodeposition. The results show that the method has a high and reproducible yield. In addition, spectrawith good res olution quality are obtained. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights res erved.