Characterization of a monazite sample from Western Australia mineral sands

A monazite sample extracted from Western Australia mineral sands has been characterized. The monazite in powder form, was injected into the Long-Lived Radioactive Dust Test Facility (LLRDTF) at the Elliot Lake Laboratory. The LLRDTF is a multi-purpose experimental facility designed, among other things, for the evaluation of radioactive dust instrumentation and the characterization of Long-Lived Radioactive Dust (LLRD). The following characteristics of the monazite sample were measured: dust mass versus particle size, alpha-particle activity versus particle size, radionuclide composition, electrical charge versus particle size, and 222Rn and 220Rn emanation from the sample. Cascade impactors were used for particle size and long-lived radioactivity characterization. Alpha- and gamma-spectrometry were employed for radionuclide identification. Special methods were used to measure the emanation of 222Rn and 220Rn from the monazite sample. The data obtained is of interest for dose estimation calculation purposes in the mineral sands industry.