Generic Sample Preparation and Uranium Separation Techniques

3 Generic Sample Preparation and Uranium Separation Techniques 

Obviously there can be no single universal sample preparation method for the determination of uranium in all types of matrices (biological, environmental, forensic. 

Preparation of liquid samples (enviromnental or biological) is usually simpler and may involve filtering to remove suspended solids and pH adjustment to prevent precipitation of uranium. If separation is required, the same strategies outlined earlier can be deployed. 

Air or gaseous samples are usually collected by pumping a large volume of ambient air through a suitable collection device (cold trap, sorbent tube, impinger, etc.). The sample is then prepared for analysis by extracting the uranium by the methods outlined earlier and analyzed with the appropriate device. 

In this chapter, we tried to present an overview of the properties of uranium (the element, isotopes, and main compounds) that are relevant to the subject matter of this book. An understanding of the industrial aspects of uranium processing, and especially its role in the NFC, is essential in order to appreciate the ways uranium affects our lives. We also tried to briefly discuss the main analytical techniques that are used in the characterization of uranium, whether as a major component, a minor component, or a trace in environmental and biological samples. A detailed description of the analytical techniques will be given in the following chapters. 

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