Development of a new hyphenated method for ICP-MS

该项目的目的是构建和验证一个原型，该原型结合了电感耦合等离子体质谱（ICP-MS）和共线共振电离光谱（CRIS）方法，由曼彻斯特大学在ISOLDE CERN开发。CRIS技术用于质谱分析的关键优势在于它能有效地去除干扰物质，无论它们是单离子、双原子还是多原子。已经证明干扰种的抑制超过7个数量级，当与ICP-MS结合时，将提高整个元素周期表从ng/g到亚pg/g范围内的检测限。质谱法的这一创新有可能显著降低与核废料表征相关的成本和时间。该项目将重点关注90Sr的挑战性案例，目前的分析方法速度慢（每个样品的交货时间超过20天）且价格昂贵。随着退役的英国核舰队退役进程的加速，现有的方法将无法满足未来的需求。ICP-MS-CRIS具有将样品分析时间从几天大幅缩短到几分钟的潜力。该项目将通过与NPL和NNL合作建立原型并验证方法来开发该技术。我们将与downary Site Restoration Ltd和M2激光器合作，进一步开发最终可在现场部署的设备所需的方法和仪器。

The aim of this project is to construct and validate a prototype that combines inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) with the collinear resonance ionization spectroscopy (CRIS) method, developed by the University of Manchester at ISOLDE CERN. The key advantage of the CRIS technique for mass spectrometry, is its efficient removal of interference species, whether they are single ions, diatomic or polyatomic in nature. A suppression of interference species by more than 7 orders of magnitude has been demonstrated and when combined with ICP-MS will improve the limit of detection from the range of ng/g to sub pg/g universally across the periodic table. This innovation in mass spectrometry has the potential to significantly reduce the cost and time associated with the characterisation of nuclear waste. This project will focus on the challenging case of 90Sr, where the current analysis methods are slow (over 20 days lead time per sample) and expensive. As the process of decommissioning the retired UK nuclear fleet accelerates, the existing methods will not scale to meet the future demand. ICP-MS-CRIS has the potential to dramatically reduce the sample analysis time from days to minutes. This project will develop the technology by building a prototype and validating the methodology in collaboration with NPL and NNL. We will work in partnership with Dounreary Site Restoration Ltd and M2 Lasers to further develop the method and instrumentation required for a unit that can be eventually deployed in the field.