High-resolution solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance experiments on highly radioactive ceramics

A triple-containment magic-angle spinning rotor insert system has been developed and a sample handling procedure formulated for safely analyzing highly radioactive solids by high-resolution solid-state NMR. The protocol and containment system have been demonstrated for magic-angle spinning (MAS) experiments on ceramic samples containing 5-10 wt % Pu-239 and Pu-238 at rotation speeds of 3500 Hz. The technique has been used to demonstrate that MAS NMR experiments can be used to measure amorphous atomic number fractions produced by accelerated internal radiation damage. This will allow incorporated alpha-emitters with short half-lives to be used to model the long-term radiation tolerance of potential ceramic radioactive waste forms. This is an example of MAS NMR spectroscopy on samples containing fissionable isotopes. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.