Material Signatures and Isotopic Standards Group

The Material Signatures and Isotopic Standards (MSIS) group of the Chemical Sciences Division (CSD) at ORNL works on the cutting edge of high-precision characterization measurements for nuclear signatures and certified reference materials utilizing state-of-the-art multi-collector thermal ionization and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-TIMS/ICPMS) instruments. The group performs research in a suite of laboratories equipped with open-front hoods and glove boxes to safely handle special nuclear materials from bulk quantities to trace levels in support of nuclear safeguards and non-proliferation programs. Analytical capabilities in the MSIS group include high-fidelity isotope ratio measurements using MC-TIMS and MC-ICPMS, quantification of trace elements in actinide matrices by iCAP RQplus and iCAP PRO, α-spectrometry, Davies and Gray titrimetry, high precision titrimetry (for U element content), radio-chronometric age dating of actinide materials, and pycnometry. The MSIS group collaborates extensively with the cleanroom laboratories in the Ultra-Trace Forensic Science Center (UFSC) for separation and sample preparation on environmental quantities of nuclear materials. The UFSC also features unique automated separation systems, sample-handling infrastructure, and multiple MC-ICP-MS, TIMS, triple quad, glow discharge, IRMS instruments.
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