This summer, Taylor Spengen wrapped up her 4-month co-op term with the ionizing radiation standards group at our Metrology Research Centre. Her team's project involved separating radioactive metals uranium and thorium by cloud point extraction and column separation to determine the extraction efficiency and quantify the amount of uranium and thorium in samples. The project was done to advance nuclear forensics, which examines nuclear and other radioactive materials to determine their origin and history for legal proceedings related to nuclear security.
The project focused on evaluating 2 methods to separate uranium and thorium to determine their concentrations. Through the identification of the isotopes found and the amounts of those isotopes, the age of the samples can be determined. The ratio of the thorium to uranium isotopes helps trace the origin of radiological materials and assists in detecting illegal activity. Column separation is typically used to separate and age elements in these types of analyses. But this method requires skilled chemists to perform the procedure. If the cloud point extraction method is successful, it will yield results more quickly and could require less highly trained personnel to perform the procedure.
"All the support has been amazing, and everyone has been incredibly welcoming and supportive," Taylor says.
During her time with the group, Taylor worked closely with another co-op student, William Meisner from the University of Ottawa, to separate samples using cloud point extraction and column separation. The samples were then measured using liquid scintillation counting and alpha spectrometry to determine how much of certain isotopes of uranium and thorium were contained in the original samples. William also speaks highly of his experience. "My experience with the NRC has been unique," says William. "My supervisors have done an excellent job in providing me with many learning opportunities by allowing me to try new techniques and instruments for the experiments."
Taylor also valued the learning opportunities she was given in a research environment where she was able to work independently. When asked about her support system at the NRC, Taylor emphasized how welcomed her colleagues made her, William and the other co-op students feel. They were even encouraged to take advantage of organized social activities, such as ball hockey and ping pong at lunch time.
Technical officer Kimberly Moore says, "The students brought a fresh perspective to the project! I was impressed with their work ethic, adherence to safety requirements and insights."
This fall, Taylor is entering her fourth year at McMaster University, where she is pursuing an Honours Bachelor of Science, specializing in chemistry. Her goal is to do her undergraduate thesis on thermoelectric materials.