Improved debris characterization LA09-IDC-NDD04

In July 2009, LANL's C-NR installed an EDAX OrbisPC Elemental Analysis Tool, a {mu}-X-ray Fluorescence ({mu}-XRF) instrument. This instrument was purchased as an advanced screening tool for an accelerated actinide assay scheme. The purpose of the present work was to establish the instrument's ultimate performance capabilities and to determine what type of samples were amenable to fluorescence study. Using inkjet deposited U standards, U (and similarly Pu) detection limits were found to be {approx}7 pg, with a factor of 2.48 uncertainty (standard limited). Practical limits based on a 1 hour survey of these standards were approximately 50 pg U(Pu). Several crude contaminated soil samples were surveyed and Pu- and U-containing particles ranging from 60 {micro}m to 0.5 mm (maximum dimension) were located. Samples from NTS glass and Mexican ore bodies were also examined. The glasses from NTS, which do not have locally high actinide concentrations (as seen in the particles containing percent level actinide concentrations) but on the bulk scale are quite enriched in actinides, were not amenable to {mu}-XRF assay. Ore samples contained reasonably homogeneous distributions of U but had on average percent U concentrations were amenable to {mu}-XRF assay.