• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.77-90
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• 2015

The fission track registration techniques for accurate determinations of uranium in solid- and liquid-state geological materials were recommended and their applicability were examined. The determination of uranium can be achieved by optical counting of neutron-induced fission tracks of $^{235}U$ registered on solid-state track detectors under high magnification. In a dry registration method using powdered pellets of rocks (e.g., granite and coal) showing good uranium-affinity, it was not easy to decide an overall mean concentration over the total sample owing to track-clusters caused by frequent presence of uranium-bearing minerals. Separate scanning for homogeneous and track-clustered parts may be an alternative choice. Assuring the homogeneity over the whole sample, high reproducibilities were confirmed both from duplicate detections using mica and Lexan polycarbonate detectors and from multiple measurements at different thermal neutron fluences. The wet registration method using sealed quartz tubes is recommended to overcome the common heterogeneity in uranium concentrations of $10^1ppm$ and more. Adopting the wet registration, the uranium homogeneity was recovered below the $10^0ppm$ level and the lower detection limit was proved to reach without difficulty the $10^2ppb$ (i.e. $ng\;g^{-1}$) level.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.385.2-385
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• 2002

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.518-530
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• 1998

A natural analogue study has been performed for the Koongarra uranium ore deposit in Australia as an international agreement of the Analogue Studies in the Alligator Rivers Region (ASARR). Rocks obtained from the Koongarra deposit, Northern Territory of Australia, were examined in order to understand uranium migration processes of primary and secondary ore-body in both weathered and unweathered zones. Total alpha activities of rock samples were measured to compare the relative amount of uranium in the sample. Uranium distributions have been investigated by means of both the alpha-autoradiography and the fission track registration technique after irradiation in a flux of thermal neutrons (~10$\times$$10^{13}$nㆍ$cm^{-2}$ㆍs$^{-1}$) for 2 minutes. The mineral phases corresponding to the registered alpha-tracks and fission tracks were identified by petrological observation with optical microscope as well as X-ray diffraction and electron microprobe analysis (EPMA). Uranium was found mostly inside of the fracture of the quartzite and its mineral phase was identified as sklodowskite. The mineral phase associated with high uranium concentration was found as illeminite by petrological observation with optical microscope as well as EPMA.