Instrumental neutron activation determination of Pt, Ru, Ir, Sc, Cr, Fe, Co, La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Yb, Lu, Hf and Ta employing CIRUS reactor as a thermal neutron source

An accurate and simple method has been developed for the determination of Pt, Ru, Ir and other elements employing instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Nondestructive analysis has been carried out for the determination of these elements in different rock samples such as Dolerite, Dyke Dolerite, Country Basalt, Hyaloclastite, Trachyte, Ijolite, Spillite, Diorite and Lamprophyre from various locations like Daman, Tapti, Murud, Talasari, Ranala and Bassein in Maharashtra state. High flux provided by the CIRUS reactor (1×10¹³ n cm^–2s^–1) has been used for thermal neutron bombardment followed by radioassaying of the (n,) products on a HPGe detector coupled to a PC-based MCA unit.