Fast Decomposition Procedure of Solid Samples by Lithium Borates Fusion Employing Salicylic Acid

A new fast decomposition procedure for solid samples was developed. In this study, we investigated decomposition of samples by lithium borates fusion in combination with salicylic acid. The method described shortens the time required for the sample to be digested and loaded to a resin to up to 2 h, and it was especially suitable for alpha spectrometry measurements in emergency situations. Additionally, the method results in high radiochemical recoveries and when compared to other digestion methods (classical digestion utilizing mineral acids, microwave digestion, and lithium borates fusion in combination with polyethylene glycol (PEG)) gives comparable activity concentration values. The method used was applied to various reference materials with inorganic and organic matrices as well as widely varying amounts of uranium radioisotopes content. The results obtained were compared with reference and literature values and show that the proposed method can be successfully implemented on various types of samples.