Dr. Amanda Lines
Senior Research Scientist
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Abstract

Development of reliable and fast methods for detecting and monitoring chemical composition of nuclear materials or related processing streams can facilitate maintenance of proper safeguards, ensure safe and efficient processing of materials, and support better informed decisions on environmental impacts. Optical spectroscopy-based approaches have the benefits of providing fast response while utilizing mature technology that is robust enough to withstand field applications. Furthermore, optical spectroscopy can be flexibly paired with complementary techniques to provide high fidelity analysis of multi-component samples that would otherwise be costly and time consuming to analyze. Combining optical spectroscopy with electrochemistry, or spectroelectrochemistry, can allow for the development of sensors that display high selectivity for target analytes. This enables accurate analysis despite optical interferences and can be further modified to enable detection of species with limited optical activity. Optical spectroscopy can also be paired with chemometric analysis, a multivariate form of analysis, to provide real-time analysis of process streams during processing operations. This talk will cover the applications of optical spectroscopy to sensor development and on-line monitoring to support needs within the field of nuclear energy.

Biography

Dr. Amanda Lines is a Senior Research Scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and has over 10 years’ experience in the design and deployment of on-line monitoring and sensor technology. Applications of this technology have included developing real-time process control capability for nuclear materials processing as well as unique and transportable sensors for separating and detecting hard-to-detect analytes. Specific applications include spectroscopic, electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical sensors for the measurement of actinides, lanthanides, fission products and transition metal complexes in aqueous and molten salt media.  Dr. Lines graduated from Washington State University with her Ph.D. in analytical chemistry after earning her undergraduate degrees in chemistry and chemical engineering from Purdue University. She is actively engaged in mentoring students and facilitating collaboration with university partners in support of training the next generation of scientists and engineers.

Thursday, November 12. 2020
4:00 pm seminar

https://ncsu.zoom.us/j/92915178133