Magnetite nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 ) decorated reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composite was synthesized by the solvothermal method and utilized as a potential adsorbent for the removal of cesium (Cs + ) and strontium (Sr 2+ ) ions from aqueous solution. The effects of adsorbate concentration and reaction time on the removal efficiencies of Cs + and Sr 2+ were investigated. The adsorption capacity increases as the initial concentration of Cs + /Sr 2+ increased from 1 to 170 mg/L, which might be due to the more available adsorption sites, and the adsorbent reached equilibrium at 360 min. The adsorption isotherm was fitted to the Freundlich model with maximum adsorption capacities of Cs + and Sr 2+ being 128.2 and 384.6 mg g −1 , respectively. The kinetic study showed that the adsorption behavior followed pseudo-second-order kinetics. The rGO/Fe 3 O 4 nanocomposite showed excellent selectivity toward Cs + and Sr 2+ even in the presence of competitive cations (Na + , K + , and Mg 2+ ) having a higher concentration.

A double focusing ICP-MS with pulsed laser deposition (PLD) of thin films as sampling tool has been used in simulated spent fuels for a quick measurement on burn-up of nuclear reactor fuels by measuring the atom ratio of U (representing total heavy elements of mass >225) to selected lanthanide fission monitors. A linear correlation is established between the measured intensity ratios of 238U/143Nd, 238U/(145Nd+146Nd) and 238U/139La against the actual atom ratios present in the samples. The samples in the form of solution are obtained by dissolving different concentrations of U, Nd and La in nitric acid medium, representing a wide burn-up range (0.19 to 19.98 at.%). In addition, PLD films were deposited using 1064 nm, 100 ps Nd:YAG laser pulses on solid targets of U and Nd mixed oxide, corresponding to different burn-ups. ICP-MS analysis of these films after dissolving in nitric acid showed values close to that of the solid target composition. Burn-up data obtained with films deposited at a high laser power density of 1.67×1011 W/cm2 agrees well with the values of the respective target compositions compared to the films deposited at 3.3×109 W/cm2. Present analytical method requires only a very small sample quantity, typically a few nanograms and generally does not require any chemical separation in comparison to the conventional mass spectrometry method, which is traditionally employed to determine the burn-up of a nuclear fuel.

Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) can be used as a sampling tool for chemical characterization of irradiated nuclear fuel, when coupled with mass spectrometry analysis. The quantity of sample obtained by...

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