Nu Instruments | Automated Total Evaporation Analysis of Uranium with Nu TIMS

Thermal ionisation mass spectrometry (TIMS) plays a critical role in measuring uranium and plutonium isotopes within nuclear production facilities. Accurate isotope ratio analysis supports material quality control, environmental monitoring and nuclear safeguards. The Nu TIMS platform has been designed to provide reliable, automated operation over extended periods while maintaining high analytical performance.

This application note focuses on an automated total evaporation (TE) method for uranium analysis. The approach continuously heats the sample until it is fully consumed, allowing average isotopic values to be collected across the entire measurement and reducing the effects of fractionation. A carousel of up to 20 samples can be analysed within a 24-hour period, helping laboratories maximise productivity and instrument utilisation.

To demonstrate robustness in a production environment, uranium standards were analysed continuously over five consecutive days. The results showed consistent isotope ratio measurements with low relative standard deviations across multiple sample loading configurations. The study demonstrates that Nu TIMS can support high-throughput, unattended uranium analysis while maintaining the precision required for nuclear materials applications.

Key Takeaways:

• Demonstrates automated 24/7 uranium isotope analysis using the total evaporation technique.
• Delivers precise and reproducible isotope ratio measurements across five days of continuous operation.
• Reduces operator involvement while maximising sample throughput and instrument uptime.