Advances in the development of a dissolution method for the attribution of iridium source materials

To assist in nuclear forensic investigations, new techniques are required to evaluate radioactive materials that may be discovered outside of regulatory control. Using a recently developed pressure digestion method for iridium powder, assessments have been made of this techniques suitability for undertaking iridium target material evaluations. In addition to determining the reaction conditions necessary for total dissolution, these investigations have provided an insight into the elemental impurities that are present within unirradiated iridium targets that are used in QSA Global radiography sources, and established the speciation of the iridium solutions that are formed during this process.