Prompt-gamma neutron activation analysis using an isotopic neutron source

This paper describes an experimental set up using an isotopic neutron source with graphite, preferably to a hydrogen-rich compound, as moderator. This low thermal flux source has been employed in PGNAA experiments. Only those elements having a high cross section can be quantitatively analyzed at low concentration levels, mainly, Gd, Cd, Sm, B and Hg; the other elements can only be probed at macroscopic levels. An application to the determination of boron content in collyria examplifies the possibilities of the technique.     

Simultaneous determination of silicon and aluminium in ferrosilicon by instrumental neutron activation analysis with the aid of an Ac-Be isotopic neutron source

A method has been developed for the accurate determination of silicon and aluminium by instrumental neutron activation analysis with the aid of an²²⁷Ac-Be isotopic neutron source. The samples are pellets made of 4.6 g of ferrosilicon and 0.9 g of a pelletizing agent. Each pellet is irradiated twice at two different fast-to-thermal neutron flux ratios. Each irradiation is followed by two integral mode countings. This allows correction for manganese activities and calculation of the fraction of the aluminium activity induced in silicon and aluminium. The method has been tested with laboratory-prepared synthetic samples as well as commercially certified ferrosilicon. For ferrosilicon containing 75% Si, a relative precision of 0.7% for the results of the silicon concentration has been obtained. For aluminium the relative precision varied from 2 to 7% for concentrations of 3.5 to 1.5%.     

Determination of manganese in ores by activation analysis using a californium-252 neutron source

A²⁵²Cf neutron source has been used to analyse manganese in ores such as pyrolusite, rodonite (manganese silicate) and blends used in dry-batteries. Samples with about 150 mg and standards of manganese dioxide were irradiated for about 20 min and counted using a well-type NaI(Tl) scintillation counter and scaler, with or without pulse-height discriminator between the detector and the scaler. The interferences of nuclear reactions⁵⁶Fe(n,p)⁵⁶Mn and⁵⁹Co(n,α)⁵⁶Mn were studied, as well as problems in connection with neutron shadowing during irradiation, gamma-rays attenuation during counting and influence of granulometry of samples. Some of the samples were also analysed by wet-chemical method (sodium bismuthate) in order to compare results.     

High precision instrumental neutron activation analysis of Sn in cassiterite with the aid of an227Ac−Be isotopic neutron source

A non-destructive method has been developed for the precise and accurate determination of Sn in cassiterite ores. Irradiation is performed by means of a 6.6 Ci²²⁷Ac−BE isotopic neutron source with a total neutron output of 10⁸ n·sec⁻¹. Samples are pellets pressed from a mixture of cassiterite powder and wax as a binding material. With a 4 hrs analysis time and a relative precision of 0.45%, the new method is faster and at least as precise as any existing destructive chemical method. The accuracy is proved to be better than that of the commonly used iodimetric titration method.     

Determination of fluorine in zinc ores using an isotope neutron source based automated neutron activation analysis system

A method has been developed for routine determination of fluorine in zinc sulfide ores by activation with fast neutrons from a 6.6 Ci²²⁷Ac−Be isotope source and counting of the 4.5 to 7 MeV gamma-rays of the product nuclide¹⁶N. Samples and standards consist of pellets pressed from a mixture of powdered material with wax or graphite. Samples and standards alternate in a sequence of 20 seconds irradiation, 4 seconds decay and 20 seconds counting. This analysis sequence, including the computation of the analysis results from the counting data automated by means of a LSI-11 Microprocessor with 12K×16 bit memory. The zinc ores, containing 0.3 to 0.7% fluorine have been analysed with a precision ranging from 1.56 to 1.33% relative. As a test for the reliability of the method, three standard reference materials were analysed in the same way as the zinc ore samples.     

Determination of palladium in alloys and ores by substoichiometric thermal neutron activation analysis

A rapid, selective and simple method have been developed for the determination of palladium in alloys and ores by thermal neutron activation analysis, incorporating substoichiometric solvent extraction of Pd/II/ with 1,2,3-benzotriazole /1,2,3-BT/ into methyl iso-butyl ketone /MIBK/. Two samples and a standard can be processed and counted within two hours.     

Determination of manganese in some pyrolusite ores of Myanmar by neutron activation analysis

Manganese in pyrolusite ores from various regions of Myanmar was determined by thermal neutron activation analysis using an Am(Be) neutron source. The induced activities of⁵⁶Mn were monitored by a -counting technique.     

Thermal neutron activation analysis of Cu in its ores by using an241Am−Be neutron source

A thermal neutron activation method has been developed for the determination of Cu in Cu–Pb–Zn ores and chalcopyrite ore concentrates using the reaction⁶³Cu(N, )⁶⁴Cu. The samples were irradiated with thermal neutrons from an²⁴¹Am–Be neutron source and the annihilation -radiations of 0.511 MeV were counted on 3×3 NaI(T1) detector coupled with single channel pulse height analyzer. The method is nondestructive, economical and ideal for bulk analysis of ores with 1–16% Cu.     

Neutron activation analysis applications at the Savannah River Site using an isotopic neutron source

NAA using ²⁵²Cf is used to address important areas of applied interest of the Savanah River Site (SRS). Sensitivity needs for many of the applications are not severe; analyses are accomplished using a 21 mg ²⁵²Cf NAA facility. Because NAA allows analysis of bulk samples, it offers strong advantages for samples in difficult-to-digest matrices when its sensitivity is sufficient. Following radiochemical separation with stable carrier addition, chemical yields for a number of methods are determined by neutron activation of the stable carrier. In some of the cases where no suitable stable carriers exist, the source has been used to generate radioactive tracers to yield separations.     

A cyclic neutron activation system using an isotopic neutron source for the measurement of short-lived isotopes

The design and construction of an activation analysis system using an isotopic neutron source which allows the measurement of prompt and delay gamma-rays, in conventional activation and cyclic activation modes, is briefly described with emphasis laid on its flexibility, transportability and low cost. Photon spectra obtained from the irrdiation of large samples under prompt, delay and cyclic conditions using both NaI(Tl) and Ge(Li) detectors are presented and described with respect to ‘in-vivo’ neutron activation analysis and the measurement of N, O, Na, P, Cl and Cd. It is pointed out that, despite the attractive possiblity of measuring Se in liver, ‘in-vivo’, by cyclic activation analysis, the system may potentially prove a very useful tool for industrial and other non-medical applications.     

Monte Carlo calculations and neutron spectrometry in quantitative prompt gamma neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) of bulk samples using an isotopic neutron source

An activation analysis facility based on an isotopic neutron source (185 GBq ²⁴¹Am/Be) which can perform both prompt and cyclic activation analysis on bulk samples, has been used for more than 20 years in many applications including 'in vivo' activation analysis and the determination of the composition of bio-environmental samples, such as, landfill waste and coal. Although the comparator method is often employed, because of the variety in shape, size and elemental composition of these bulk samples, it is often difficult and time consuming to construct appropriate comparator samples for reference. One of the obvious problems is the distribution and energy of the neutron flux in these bulk and comparator samples. In recent years, we have attempted to adopt the absolute method based on a monostandard and to make calculations using a Monte Carlo code (MCNP4C2) to explore this further. In particular, a model of the irradiation facility has been made using the MCNP4C2 code in order to investigate the factors contributing to the quantitative determination of the elemental concentrations through prompt gamma neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) and most importantly, to estimate how the neutron energy spectrum and neutron dose vary with penetration depth into the sample. This simulation is compared against the scattered and transmitted neutron energy spectra that are experimentally and empirically determined using a portable neutron spectrometry system. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Nondestructive and destructive determination of manganese in nickel- and iron-base alloys by neutron activation analysis

Nondestructive and destructive methods are described for the determination, by neutron activation, of small amounts (more than about 0.001%) of manganese in nickel- and iron-base alloys. In the destructive method, thenoyltrifluoroacetone (TTA) extraction has been applied to the separation of manganese after irradiation.     

Determination of uranium in ores using instrumental neutron activation analysis

An instrumental neutron activation analysis method based on the measurement of²³⁹Np has been developed for the determination of uranium in ores. The samples after 5 sec irradiation were cooled for 3 days and the gamma-ray spectra were measured with a 30 cm³ Ge(Li) detector. The precision and accuracy of the proposed method were determined by analysing IAEA Standard Uranium Ore samples.     

Fluorine analysis by activation with an isotopic fast-neutron source and counting Nitrogen-16

A rapid, nondestructive method has been developed for determination of fluorine by activation with fast neutrons from a²⁴¹Am-²⁴²Cm-Be source and counting the 6–7 MeV γ rays of the product nitrogen-16. The total neutron output of the source is 4.8·10⁹ unmoderated neutrons per second and the flux is 1.4·10⁸ fast n·cm⁻²· sec⁻¹. The γ-ray detectors consist of two opposing, matched cylindrical NaI(Tl) crystals 10 cm long and 10 cm in diameter. The sample is irradiated for 30 seconds, cooled for 4 seconds, and then counted for 30 seconds. The sensitivity is 4.8·10⁴ counts nitrogen-16 per gram fluorine, and the limit of detection is 0.4 mg fluorine in a 10-gram sample. A reproducibility of 0.24% is achieved. The relative standard deviation of the specific count rate of nitrogen-16 for 11 fluorine compounds is 1.31%.     

Non-destructive determination of silicon in aluminium-silicon alloys by neutron activation analysis with a 227Ac-Be isotope neutron source

A method has been developed for the accurate determination of silicon in binary Al-Si alloys by instrumental neutron activation analysis with the aid of an ²²⁷Ac-Be isotope neutron source. Discs, weighing ca. 4 g, are irradiated at the maximum of the fast flux gradient in a rabbit lined internally with two layers of cadmium foil. Each irradiation is followed by an integral mode counting with discriminator baseline setting at 1400 keV. Standards consist of discs from high purity semiconductor silicon and aluminium (99.99%) metal. An iterative calculation procedure yields results with a relative precision from 0.6 to 8.1% for silicon contents between 13.5 and 0.5%. Triplicate analysis requires 21 min.     

Non-destructive determination of silver in lead by neutron activation with a 227Ac-Be isotopic neutron source

A method has been developed for the determination of silver in lead by instrumental neutron activation analysis with the aid of a ²²⁷Ac-Be isotopic neutron source. The samples are irradiated for 60 s, allowed to decay for 10 s, and counted for 60 s. ¹¹⁰Ag can be measured free of interferences provided that copper and antimony do not occur in concentrations higher than ca. 1000 p.p.m. A calibration curve was established for silver concentrations between 0 and 4000 p.p.m. by means of standards prepared by melting together high-purity silver and lead under a hydrogen atmosphere. For 17.5-g lead samples, containing between 1000 and 2500 p.p.m. of silver, a mean relative precision of 0.8% was obtained after a 10-min analysis.     

Fast neutron activation analysis of silicon in aluminum alloys

The silicon content in an aluminum-silicon alloy was measured by nondestructive fast neutron activation analysis with fission spectrum neutrons. A boron nitride irradiation container reduced the flux of thermal and epithermal neutrons at the sample position, enhancing the²⁹Si (n, p)²⁹Al reaction. A detection limit of 0.4% silicon in a 0.5 g alloy sample was obtained.     

Optimization of Linac-based neutron source for thermal neutron activation analysis

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - A 20 MeV electron Linac based neutron beam has been shaped for neutron activation analysis (NAA) technique. A beam shaping assembly (BSA)...     

Prompt gamma neutron activation analysis of boron with a 241Am-Be neutron source

A prompt gamma neutron activation analysis (PGAA) setup installed at ANRTC has been used to analyze boron. It consists of a 22.6% REGe detector and a 740 GBq ²⁴¹Am-Be neutron source moderated with water and paraffin. At the sample irradiation position, the thermal neutron fluence rate measured was 2.36·10⁴ n·m^–2· s^–1 and the corresponding Cd-ratio was 22 for gold monitor. The absolute detection efficiency in the range of 120–1500 keV was determined using ¹⁵²Eu standard solution. The sensitivity and detection limit for standard boric acid samples has been determined. The boron content in boric acid prepared from Turkish borate ores is measured to be 15.91±0.46% wt.     

Precision analyses of manganese in rocks by neutron activation analysis

A simple and rapid procedure for the determination of manganese in rocks by neutron activation and γ-spectrometry is presented. The precision of the method calculated from analyses of standard rocks is of the order 1.5–2%, and an accuracy of ±2% is attainable. The method is applicable to most types of geological samples, and should be superior to conventional methods used in rock analysis.