Preparation and characterisation of uranium and plutonium quality control samples for isotope dilution mass spectrometry measurements and uncertainty estimation

Abstract This paper presents the preparation, characterisation and validation of two quality control (QC) samples for measurement plutonium uranium contents by isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS). These QC were then used at JRC-Geel G.2′s laboratory to monitor performance IDMS results in line with ISO 17025 17034. The prepared from certified reference materials, namely NBL-126 (Pu) CRM 116-A (U). values 235 U 239 Pu amount assigned based on gravimetric preparation solutions verified independent measurements. Their use as part a broader in-house spike inter-calibration campaign, notably during participations proficiency tests, is also highlighted. Finally, using these samples, detailed approach uncertainty evaluation, according Guide expression (GUM, 2008) presented various examples.