Enhancing Lithium Isotopic Analysis of Depleted Salts Using Quadrupole Based ICP-MS

In the realm of nuclear energy, particularly within advanced reactor designs like molten salt reactors, the precise characterization of lithium isotopic compositions is vital. Accurate measurements of lithium isotopes, especially in depleted lithium salts, are crucial for ensuring optimal reactor performance and safety.

During this webinar a comprehensive study will be presented that evaluates three mass spectrometry techniques:

-Quadrupole Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (Q-ICP-MS) using the NexION 5000 ICP-MS
-Multi-Collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS)
-Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry (TIMS)

This research highlights that while MC-ICP-MS consistently offers the highest precision across both depleted and natural lithium isotopic abundances, Q-ICP-MS, once stabilized, achieves comparable precision. The NexION 5000 stands out for its EDR feature, which allows extreme isotope abundance ratios to be measured in only ion counting mode. This, in conjunction with its rapid analysis capabilities, makes it particularly suitable for near-online process monitoring in isotope separation processes.