Investigation of the oxidation states of Pu isotopes in a hydrochloric acid solution

The characteristics of the oxidation states of Pu in a hydrochloric acid solution were investigated and the results were applied to a separating of Pu isotopes from IAEA reference soils. The oxidation states of Pu(III) and Pu(IV) were prepared by adding hydroxylamine hydrochloride and sodium nitrite to a Pu stock solution, respectively. Also, the oxidation state of Pu(VI) was adjusted with concentrated HNO3 and HClO4. The stability of the various oxidation states of plutonium in a HCl solution with elapsed time after preparation were found to be in the following order: Pu(III)≈Pu(VI)>Pu(IV)>Pu(V). The chemical recoveries of Pu(IV) in a 9 M HCl solution with an anion exchange resin were similar to those of Pu(VI). This method for the determination of Pu isotopes with an anion exchange resin in a 9 M HCl medium was applied to IAEA reference soils where the activity concentrations of 239,240Pu and 238Pu in IAEA-375 and IAEA-326 were consistent with the reference values reported by the IAEA.