PEMISAHAN CESIUM DALAM PEB U3Si2/Al PASCA IRADIASI DENGAN METODE KOLOM PENUKAR KATION MENGGUNAKAN RESIN DOWEX

Abstract

The burn up calculations of nuclear fuel by destruction method can be determined from the analysis of ¹³⁷Cs isotope, as fission product. For this reason, the separation of ¹³⁷Cs isotopes from uranium in irradiated fuel element plates of U₃Si₂/Al (PEB) needs to be done. The separation of ¹³⁷Cs was done by using cation exchange column method with Dowex resin with weight variation of 1; 2; 3; 4; 5 and 6 g. This study aims to determine the content of ¹³⁷Cs in irradiated fuel element plates of U₃Si₂/Al (PEB) using the cation exchange column method with Dowex resin to be compared with the result of ¹³⁷Cs separation by cation exchange column method using Lampung zeolite and CsClO₄ precipitation method. The irradiated fuel element plates of U₃Si₂/Al (PEB) PEB U₃Si₂/Al with a density of 2.96 gU/cm³ from the middle part of RI-SIE2 code and side plate 20 IDA 0045 was taken with weight 0.1103 g and dissolved with HCl 6N and HNO₃ 6N to obtain uranil nitrate solution. The U₃Si₂/Al post irradiated solution was 150 μL was added with 2 mL aquadest and added with Cs carrier 20 μL and 1 mL HCl 12 M. The solution mixture was used as feed into the anion exchange column (first column) containing the R-Cl resin –with the wight variation about 1; 2; 3; 4; 5 and 6 g. The effluent from the anion exchange column was introduced into the cation exchange column (second column) which contained R-NH4⁺ resin with weight variation of 1; 2; 3; 4; 5 and 6 g. The bounded ¹³⁷Cs isotope in R-NH4⁺ resin in the column was being eluted using 1 M HCl of 15 mL and being vaporized until the volume reach ± 2 mL. The quantity of the ¹³⁷Cs isotope in the effluent was measured by using a gamma spectrometer with a counting time of 500 s. The ¹³⁷Cs isotope content in irradiated fuel element plates of U₃Si₂/Al with the density 2.96 gU/cm³is 0.000445 g/gPEB and the parameter of separation ¹³⁷Cs with cation exchange column method using Dowex resin weighing 2 g with recovery is 98.67%. The result of separation of ¹³⁷Cs by cation exchange column method is not much different from the result of separation ¹³⁷Cs by cation exchange method and CsClO₄ precipitation method. The ¹³⁷Cs obtained can then be used for burn up calculations.