Application of neutron activation analysis to determine the contents and isotopic ratios of elements in rocks and minerals

Data on the applicability of neutron activation analysis to determine various rare and trace elements and the isotopic abundance of some of them in natural samples are discussed as relevant to the solution of various geological and geochemical problems. For the determination of minute amounts of elements from small weighed quantities of rocks and minerals a number of modifications of neutron activation analysis are used: analysis with the radiochemical separation of individual elements—RNAA (tantalum, tungsten, antimony, arsenic, molybdenum, rhenium, osmium, etc.) and analysis with semiconductor—Ge (Li)—gamma-spectrometry, which is multi-element and non-destructuve—INAA (scandium, europium, tantalum, iron caesium, rubidium, cobalt, antimony, etc.) or the combination of the latter with group radiochemical separation—IRNAA (alkaline, alkaline-earth, rare-earth elements, etc.). First steps have been made towards developing techniques for the determination of the isotopic rations of some elements by means of neutron activation method, e.g., the isotopic ratio of⁵⁸Fe/⁵⁴Fe. The accuracy of isotopic ratio determination is 1 to 3 relative per cent.     

The determination of carbon in the refractory metals zirconium,niobium, tantalum and tungsten by instrumental deuteron activation analysis

Instrumental activation analysis is used for the determination of carbon in the refractory metals zirconium, niobium, tantalum and tungsten, based on the ¹²C(d, n)¹³N reaction induced by 5–7-MeV deuterons. ¹³N(t_{$\text{1}\text{2}$} = 10.0 min) is detected via its annihilation radiation. The contribution of ¹³N to the annihilation activity is separated from that of other β⁺-emitters by decay-curve analysis. The method is free of nuclear interferences. The possible spectrometric interferences are discussed. Concentrations of 65.1, 24.8, 1.04 and <0.015 μg C g^-1, with relative standard deviations of 4.0, 5.9 and 14.0%, were obtained for zirconium, niobium, tantalum and tungsten, respectively.     

Preparation of carrier-free group tracers from a gold target irradiated by high-energy heavy ions

A rapid radiochemical separation procedure has been finished by using of radiochemical separation and -spectrum measurement methods. In this isolation procedure, tantalum nuclides produced by the irradiation of natural tungsten targets with 14 MeV neutrons were extracted by methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) in the system of HF-HNO₃ mixed solutions. It has been found that tantalum was rapidly and efficiently separated in the isolation procedure and the decontamination factors of tungsten were more than 10⁴. The procedure is simultaneously used to separate tantalum from tungsten bombarded with intermediate energy (47 MeV/u)¹⁸O beams. The measured -spectra showed that tantalum can be separated from most elements produced in the nuclear reactions except for a few elements.     

Determination of silicon in high purity metals by radiochemical NAA and CPAA

The indicator radionuclide³¹Si produced in neutron and deuteron activation analysis for silicon via the reactions³⁰Si(n,) and³⁰Si(d,p), respectively, is specifically separated from the irradiated sample by distillation as³¹SiF₄. In the case of aluminium, the distillation is carried out from a HF(HNO₃)H₂O₂ medium and in the case of molybdenum, niobium, tantalum, titanium and vanadium from a HF/HNO₃/HBr/H₂SO₄ medium. Using liquid scintillation counting, the achievable detection limits for neutron activation analysis are, depending on the type of the matrix, between 4–50 ng/g, and for the deuteron activation analysis of tantalum the detection limit is 5 ng/g.     

Determination of fluorine in standard rocks by photon activation analysis

A highly sensitive determination of fluorine in standard rocks by photon activation using the¹⁹F(,n)¹⁸F reaction combined with pyrohydrolysis for the separation of¹⁸F has been reported. The irradiation energy was operated at 20 MeV to avoid the interference from Na, because Na is one of the major element in rocks and¹⁸F is also produced from Na via²³Na(,n)¹⁸F reaction above its threshold energy, 20.9 MeV. After irradiation, fluorine was extracted by pyrohydrolysis and separated as LaF₃ precipitate. It was ascertained that the average recovery of fluorine in standard rocks was about 90% and the precipitate was of high radiochemical purity. This method was applied to the analysis of ten GSJ rock reference samples and two USGS standard rocks issued by the Geological Survey of Japan and the United States Geological Survey, respectively. The detection limit of this method was 0.02 g/g, and the results obtained by this method were in good agreement with the recommended values. This method was easily applied to the determination of a few ppm level of fluorine in rock samples, such as ultrabasic rock and feldspar.     

Dosage du molybdene et du tungstene dans les plantes par activation neutronique

A method for the determination of molybdenum and tungsten in plant material using neutron activation analysis was developed. The considered reaction are: $$\begin{gathered} {}^{98}Mo(n,\gamma )^{99} Mo \hfill \\ {}^{186}W(n,\gamma )^{187} W \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ The separation for tungsten and molybdenum was carried out using anion exchange separation (Dowex 1×10; 200–400 mesh). Irradiation was carried out in a swimming pool reactor at a thermal flux of about 1–2×10¹³ n·cm^?2·sec^?1 for 15 hours. The samples and standard were allowed to cool for 5–6 hours before chemical processing. the high concentration of calcium in plants (up to 40 mg/g dry material), the use of hydrofluoric acid for a good absorption and quantitative recovery of tungsten led us to dissolve the samples with Ht?H₂O₂ mixtures containing boric acid to prevent the precipitation of fluorides.     

Determination of uranium, thorium, and 20 other elements in high-purity tungsten by radiochemical neutron activation analysis

A radiochemical neutron activation analysis method for the determination of 22 elements in high-purity tungsten has been developed. For the assay of indicator radionuclides with long half-lives, the radiochemical separation was performed from HF/H₂O₂, HF/NH₄F and HCl/H₂SO₄ media by a combination of cation and anion exchange on a Dowex 50 W × 8 and Dowex 1 × 8 column. An effective removal of the matrix-produced radionuclides of W and Re was achieved. U was determined via ¹⁴⁰La, the daughter nuclide of the fission product ¹⁴⁰Ba. Limits of detection of 2 ng/g for U and 0.02 ng/g for Th can be achieved. For the other elements, the limits of detection are between 0.004 ng/g (Sc) and 200 ng/g (Sr). The elements Hf, Ta and Sb could be determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis. This method was applied to the analysis of two tungsten powder samples of different purity grade. The results and limits of detection are compared with those of other methods.     

Preconcentration of trace lead by adsorption onto a tantalum wire for electrothermal atomization atomic absorption spectrometry with a tungsten tube atomizer

A preconcentration method of lead in waters by adsorption on a tantalum wire was developed for electrothermal atomization atomic absorption spectrometry with a tungsten tube atomizer. After the preconcentration, the tantalum wire was directly inserted into the tungsten tube atomizer. In the preconcentration (adsorption) process for lead, the optimal immersing time was 90 s and the best pH was 4. Under the optimal conditions, the detection limit for lead by the tantalum wire preconcentration method was 6.0 pg mL^− 1 (3S/N) and the relative standard deviation was 6.1%. The influences of large amounts of concomitants on the preconcentration of lead were evaluated. Even though 10³ to 10⁴-fold excess of matrix elements existed in aqueous solution, the lead absorption signal was not significantly affected by the matrix elements. The method with preconcentration on a tantalum wire was applied to the determination of lead in river waters and proved to be sensitive, simple, and convenient. Because this preconcentration method can be utilized in the in-situ treatment of trace lead in environmental water samples, it was unnecessary to carry the water samples to the analytical work place. The present technique was shown to be useful for the determination of lead in environmental water samples at 0.1−1 μg L^− 1.     

Determination of uranium, thorium, and 20 other elements in high-purity tungsten by radiochemical neutron activation analysis

A radiochemical neutron activation analysis method for the determination of 22 elements in high-purity tungsten has been developed. For the assay of indicator radionuclides with long half-lives, the radiochemical separation was performed from HF/H₂O₂, HF/NH₄F and HCl/H₂SO₄ media by a combination of cation and anion exchange on a Dowex 50 W × 8 and Dowex 1 × 8 column. An effective removal of the matrix-produced radionuclides of W and Re was achieved. U was determined via ¹⁴⁰La, the daughter nuclide of the fission product ¹⁴⁰Ba. Limits of detection of 2 ng/g for U and 0.02 ng/g for Th can be achieved. For the other elements, the limits of detection are between 0.004 ng/g (Sc) and 200 ng/g (Sr). The elements Hf, Ta and Sb could be determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis. This method was applied to the analysis of two tungsten powder samples of different purity grade. The results and limits of detection are compared with those of other methods. Received: 28 July 1997 / Revised: 29 October 1997 / Accepted: 1 November 1997     

Determination of tungsten in ores by X-ray fluorescence technique and X-rays in neutron activation analysis

Two distinct analytical methods have been described for analysis of W in tungsten ores. For the proposed study, thick and thin samples were analyzed by using X-ray fluorescence technique with great accuracy. Standard comparison method is based on the measurement of K line for tungsten. Also, W has been determined in similar ore samples by neutron activation analysis followed by X-ray spectrometry employing a²³⁸Pu-Be neutron source. The measured Re K-X rays are emitted in internal conversion of¹³⁷W produced during thermal neutron activation.     

The effects of ionizing radiation,temperature and substitutions on the thermophysical properties of La-ferrite polycrystals

Various samples of different substituted Laferrites La_1–xSm_x1 (Fe_1–x2B_x2)O₃ have been prepared by the usual ceramic procedure and firing technique. On these samples, numerous measurements have been performed, namely, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry, the temperature dependence of electrical conductivity before and after -absorbed dose (4.5×10⁷ rad) and the temperature dependence of dielectric constant. Results obtained were explained, interpreted and discussed in detail on the basis of interaction of the dopant cations and ionizing radiation with La-ferrite lattice. Furthermore, the thermal stability, activation energy and energy gap for semiconduction of the investigated ferrites were evaluated before and after -absorbed dose (4.5×10⁷ rad). Finally, the activation energy for -radiation induced carrier liberation in La-ferrites was evaluated for the first time.     

Application of gamma-ray spectrometry for the assay of uranium in crude UF4—An input material used for producing nuclear grade U-metal at the natural uranium conversion plants

A -spectrometric method has been developed for the assay of uranium in crude UF₄, which is used as a secondary source of input material for producing nuclear grade U-metal at natural uranium conversion plants. The method makes use of a NaI (Tl) detector coupled with a multichannel analyzer. The 1 MeV -ray of²³⁸U is used for calibration. A method for the fabrication of uniform -assay calibration standards is also suggested, based on the results of this investigation. The calibration standards were prepared by soaking the matrix in uranium solution and then drying the whole material. The amount of²³⁸U in the crude UF₄ sample was directly estimated by comparing the areas under the 1 MeV -ray peak of known calibration standards with the corresponding areas of the samples to be measured. 100 g each of the standard and the sample were counted. 5 crude UF₄ samples were analyzed by this method. The uranium contents in these samples were found to be in the range of 12.2–28.7 g. To compare the -ray spectrometry results with a completely independent method, chemical analysis by potentiometry of all the samples was also done. The -spectrometric results were found to agree within ±18% with the chemical analysis results.     

Separation of Carrier-Free 176,177W and 176,177Ta Produced in 16O Irradiated Holmium Target

Carrier-free radionuclides of tungsten and tantalum, ^176,177W and ^176,177Ta have been produced by heavy ion activation of holmium target with 97 MeV ¹⁶O⁵⁺ beam. Radiochemical separation scheme has been developed to isolate tungsten and tantalum radionuclides from the holmium target matrix.     

Instrumental neutron activation analysis of tungsten in various steel samples

The instrumental neutron activation analysis /INAA/ of tungsten in various steel samples has been done with a 2 Ci²⁵²Cf fission neutron source having an integrated neutron flux of 10¹⁰ ns^–1 and measuring the -activity of¹⁸⁷W on a 4 K multi-channel analyzer /MCA/ coupled to a high purity germanium /HPGe/ detector. The tungsten content of various steel samples was between 0.017 and 0.024%.     

The determination of molybdenum and tungsten in sea and surface water

A simple method for the determination of molybdenum and tungsten in sea and surface water is presented. Molybdenum and tungsten are concentrated on activated charcoal by adsorption as the ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate complex; the optimal pH for adsorption is 1.3. Mo and W are then determined by thermal neutron activation, forming ⁹⁹Mo (T_{$\text{1}\text{2}$} = 66.7 h) and ¹³⁷W (T_{$\text{1}\text{2}$} = 23.8 h), respectively. The ^99mTc daughter of ⁹⁹Mo is measured as soon as the equilibrium between ^99mTc(T_{$\text{1}\text{2}$}= 6 h) and ⁹⁹Mo is established. The detection limits are 0.05 μg Mo l^-1 and 0.05 μg W l^-1 (or 0.001 μg W l^-1 after a simple chemical separation).     

Determination of metal traces in tantalum by proton activation analysis

Procedures for determining traces of calcium, titanium, vanadium, chromium, iron, copper, niobium, molybdenum and tungsten in tantalum are described utilizing 11 MeV proton activation. The instrumental method of analysis with the use of a Ge(Li) detector and the radiochemical separation of the corresponding fractions are described. The formula for the calculation of the concentration of traces with the use of thick target yields is given. Experimental data on the thick target yields of radioisotopes⁴⁴Sc,⁵²Mn,⁵⁶Co,⁶⁵Zn,^93mMo,⁹⁶Tc are presented. Based on the experimental data, the detection limits are estimated at 1–10 ppb for the above mentioned metal traces in tantalum. The successful solution of the task of the simultaneous determination of nine elements in tantalum confirms the wide applicability of proton activation analysis.     

Geochemical study of trace vanadium in water by preconcentrational neutron activation analysis

By preconcentrational neutron activation analysis, trace vanadium was determined in natural water samples such as ground water, river water, lake water and so on. Preconcentration was accomplished by adsorption of vanadium on activated carbon surfaces using 8-quinolinol as an adjunct. As an analytical line, the 1434 keV -photopeak of⁵²V (T _1/2=3.75 m) produced in the⁵¹V (n,) ⁵²V reaction was measured with a conventional -ray spectrometer. The present analytical results show that the vanadium contents in natural water range widely from several tens ppt to about 100 ppb. A relatively larger amount of vanadium was observed in the ground water samples from the locations with basaltic soils or rocks, for example, around Mt. Fuji. This suggests that the geochemical interactions of ground water with such soils or rocks could enhance the vanadium concentrations. As an application, the vanadium contents were measured in the lake water from the five lakes surrounding Mt. Fuji in order to clarity geochemical and geological behaviors of natural water by probing vanadium as an indicator.     

Spectrophotometric determination of molybdenum(V) by extraction of its 2-(2′-furyl)-3-hydroxychromone complex

A simple method is described for the rapid spectrophotometric determination of molybedenum in synthetic and industrial samples containing 0.1-5% Mo. Molybdenum is reduced with ascorbic acid at room temperature in 1 mol dm^–3 H₂SO₄ and extracted with chloroform after adding 2-(2-furyl)-3-hydroxychromone (FHC). The yellow colour of the 1 2 Mo-FHC complex is measured at 414 nm against a reagent blank. Beer's law is obeyed over the range 0-2.7 g Mo cm^–3 of solvent phase. The molar absorptivity and Sandell's sensitivity are 5.18 × 10⁴ dm³ mol^–1 cm^–1 and 0.0018 g Mo cm^–2, respectively. Relative standard deviations are 0.2% for solutions and 0.5–1.5% for solid samples. Interference from tungsten and tin is removed by adding citrate and EDTA, respectively, while niobium and tantalum are masked by fluoride. Many elements such as V, Fe, Ti, U, Mn, Cr, Co, Ni, Re, Ru, Pt, Rh, Se, Au, Bi, Zr, Th, Ce, As and Al do not interfere even in large amounts, but antimony always interferes. Among the anions and complexing agents, only thiocyanate interferes seriously.     

Computer assisted multielement analysis of terrestrial and extraterrestrial materials and studies on long-lived cosmogenic53Mn by neutron activation

In a large number of alpine rocks and respective mineral separates the beryllium distribution was studied via “non-destructive” photon activation. The detection limit of the assembly was ∼20 ppb. The existence of Be-rich areas was revealed. A selection of individual rocks was analysed by instrumental as well as by radiochemical neutron activation analysis for main and trace elements as: Na, K, Sc, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Rb, Cs, La, Eu, Yb, Ta, W, Au, and U. The latter was determined by counting the²³⁵U-fission tracks. The data supply an insight into the complex processes leading to the formation of metamorphic rocks. The hardware and the computer evaluation of the γ-spectra is described in some detail. A further application is the determination of traces of⁵³Mn (in the order of 10⁻¹² g/g) produced by the interaction of cosmic rays with stony meteorites. From a comparison of the²⁶Al- and⁵³Mn-values it is concluded that the depth dependent production of these two radionuclides differs slightly.     

Determination of nitrogen by neutron activation in meteorites and rocks

The results of determination of nitrogen content in meteorites by neutron activation are reported. The method is based on the¹⁴N(n,p)¹⁴C reaction, which occurs upon irradiation of the samples by neutrons. The use of proportional gas-filled countes for the recording of¹⁴C made it possible to obtain the low nitrogen detection limit of 0.001 g.