Title: Double potential step chronocoulometric studies to determine the role of thiocyanate in electroanalytical determination of gallium in Pu-Ga and U-Ga alloys

Authors: T.K. Bhardwaj

Addresses: Department of Nuclear Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.

Abstract: Two rapid, selective and simple methods are developed for the determination of gallium in Pu-Ga and U-Ga alloys using Anodic Stripping Voltammetry (ASV) and Controlled Potential Coulometry (CPC). In continuation of this work, a detailed study is presented to determine the role of SCN⁻ during the determination of gallium at Static Mercury Drop Electrode (SMDE) in NaClO₄ and NaSCN mixed electrolyte. Double potential step chronocoulometric experiments were carried out to examine the adsorption of Ga(III) at SMDE in 4M NaClO₄ alone and in the presence of SCN⁻ employing different initial and final potentials for different gallium concentrations; this approach involved an instrumental readout of charge on a square root of time axis, allowing immediate examination of Q-t^1/2 plot. Instrumentation for functional readout of Q-t^1/2 plots is described and was evaluated by investigation of 1 mM cadmium adsorption at mercury electrode from 0.5M NaNO₃ + 0.5M NaSCN before carrying out the experiments for gallium adsorption.

Keywords: double potential step chronocoulometric studies; thiocyanate; electroanalytical determination; gallium; Pu-Ga; U-Ga alloys; uranium; plutonium.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNEST.2012.046981

International Journal of Nuclear Energy Science and Technology, 2012 Vol.7 No.1, pp.9 - 22

Received: 21 Oct 2011
Accepted: 10 Feb 2012
Published online: 05 Dec 2014 *

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