Plutonium assay by spectrophotometry and estimation of uncertainties on routine glove box samples

Plutonium(VI) spectrophotometry is a precise analytical method for determining the concentration of plutonium solutions. It is simple and cost-effective to implement in nuclear environments such as glove boxes and hot-cells. Uncertainties were assessed at 0.64% (k = 1) for solutions of 0.150 mg g−1 initially prepared in a glove box. The critical limit of the method was estimated at 0.002 mg g−1 at 99% confidence. The good performances of the technique in the present work are due to a rigorous spectra processing as well as preparation steps conducted by weight control.