Fission Track Analysis (FTA) is a commonly used method for determining if fissionable material is present in a sample. In the work presented, neutron activation analysis (NAA) was used to determine if poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), a material commonly used for microfluidic devices, is acceptable for FTA. The criteria for acceptable material include: no visible radiation damage, no activation products, and no trace metals. PMMA was combined with an FTA detector, Lexan�, to determine if tracks are recorded in either material. Natural uranium and thorium attached to resin beads were used for irradiation in the WSUNRC 1.0 MW TRIGA reactor to generate tracks. 252Californium was also used to generate tracks. Etching conditions were investigated. The results are presented in the context of developing an integrated microfluidic-fission track detector.

Investigating fission track as a detector for microfluidic separations

244th National Meeting (2012)

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