PROCEDURE DETERMINING IMPURITIES IN URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE AND DEVICE FOR ITS IMPLEMENTATION Russian patent published in 2002 - IPC

FIELD: analysis of materials. SUBSTANCE: procedure consists in concentration of impurities in high-vacuum zone of mass spectrometer. With this in mind concentrator is placed between ionization chamber of mass spectrometer and valve metering uranium hexafluoride. Concentrator is made up of two pipe-lines soldered together. Pipe-lines are divided into independent cooling sections. Temperature in them is stabilized by means of heating windings. Pipe-line carrying nitrogen vapors cools surface of pipe- line carrying uranium hexafluoride. Uranium hexafluoride is partially condensed on surface of fluoroplastic tube snugly inserted into pipe-line. Impurities with higher or lower values of pressure of saturated vapors in comparison with uranium hexafluoride go into ionization chamber of mass spectrometer. Molar share of impurities is determined by relative method with use of calibration mixtures with known content of impurities. EFFECT: enhanced sensitivity and accuracy of mass spectrometric procedure. 2 cl, 2 tbl