Publication Date

Spring 2011

Document Type

Project Summary

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Analytical Chemistry

First Advisor

Walter Henne, Jr., Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Stephen Kent, M.B.A.

Third Advisor

Joseph B. Addison, Ph.D.

Abstract

In the nuclear industry, the addition of poly-acrylic acid (PAA) as a dispersant to the secondary cooling loop in pressurized water reactors (PWRs) has been found beneficial in keeping the corroded Fe in solution. The purpose of this study is to measure the effectiveness of the addition of PAA to Braidwood Nuclear Power Station and other plants, to show the benefits of PAA implementation and to evaluate the current method for Fe detection. The current analytical method for the X-Ray Fluorescence Detector has an upper detection limit of 5,000 μg Fe, however, the results frequently exceed the upper limit. In order to accurately measure the amount of Fe being kept in solution, the limit of linearity needs to be researched in an attempt to maximize the dynamic range of the current instrument in place, the Oxford ED2000 XRF.

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