Determination of Hydrogen in Zircaloy by Spark Source Mass Spectrometry

Application of Spark Source Mass Spectrometry(SSMS) for the determination of hydrogen in zircaloy clad material used in nuclear reactors is reported. The advantage of SSMS lies in the fact that along with the metallic trace constituents even the nonmetallics including the gaseous impurities can also be determined in a single analysis using the photoplate detection system. The value obtained for H2 using photoplate detection system is compared with that obtained in electrical detection system in SSMS and also with the value obtained employing the conventional inert gas fusion technique.