Uranium measurements using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy in lithium chloride-potassium chloride salt of pyroprocessing

In pyroprocessing, uranium (U) is recovered from molten LiCl-KCl salt, and, for safeguard purposes, it is important to analyze the U and Plutonium (Pu) concentrations in a timely manner. In the present work, salt samples containing U were fabricated. The laser used in the present work was an Nd:YAG laser with a wavelength of 532 nm, a laser energy on the sample of 11.5 mJ, and a pulse repetition rate of 10 Hz. The plasma emission light was measured with an Echelle spectrometer. A total of 100 points on the sample surface were measured as the laser incident position was changed. The U and potassium (K) peaks in the spectrum were identified. Univariate and multivariate analyzes were conducted to determine the accuracy and limit of detection (LOD) of the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy.