A technique for reducing interferences in epithermal neutron activation analysis

A new epithermal neutron activation technique is described. The technetium is based on the existence of non-overlapping resonance peaks in the neutron absorption cross-section spectra for the nuclides present in the sample to be analyzed. By this method it is possible to reduce some of the interfering activities with respect to the sought activity by using appropriàte filters. An experiment has been carried out to demonstrate the validity of the technique.     

Instrumental neutron activation analysis of geological and pedological samples. Further investigation of epithermal neutron activation analysis using monostandard method

A comparative study is presented on neutron activation analysis of rock and soil samples using whole reactor neutron spectrum and epithermal neutrons with both relative and monostandard procedures. The latter procedure used with epithermal neutron activation analysis of soil samples necessitated the use of the “effective resonance integrals” which were determined experimentally. The incorporation of the β factor, representing deviation of reactor epithermal neutron flux from 1/E law, is developed in the present work. The main criteria for the choice of one or more of the procedures studied for a given purpose are also indicated. Analysis of 15 trace elements, Ca and Fe in the standard Japanese granite JC-1 using monostandard epithermal neutron activation gave results in good agreement with the average literature values. This paper is dedicated to the 80th birthday of Professor Dr. Robert Klement, University of Munich.     

Estimates of iodine in biological materials by epithermal neutron activation analysis

Iodine abundances in NBS biological SRMs and various organs of rats were evaluated by epithermal neutron activation analysis with a boron carbide filter. Detectability of iodine in different biological materials by this method is discussed.

     

Trace multielement analysis in boron materials by epithermal neutron activation analysis

A method, based on epithermal neutron activation analysis using a boron filter is described for the determination of ～60 trace elements in boron and its compounds. The method has an accuracy of ～20%, a precision of ～15% RSD and limits of detection for most elements are either at the sub-ppm or low ppm levels. The method requires no sample preparation and is economical in effort.     

Determination of silver using cyclic epithermal neutron activation analysis

A fast pneumatic transfer facility was installed in Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory (NETL) of the University of Texas at Austin for the purpose of cyclic thermal and epithermal neutron activation analysis. In this study efforts were focused on the evaluation of cyclic epithermal neutron activation analysis (CENAA). Various NIST and CANMET certified materials were analyzed by the system. Experiment results showed ¹¹⁰Ag with its 25 s half-life as one of the isotopes favored by the system. Thus, the system was put into practical application in identifying silver in metallic ores. Comparison of sliver concentrations as determined by CENAA in CANMET certified reference materials gave very good results.     

Choice of boron shield in epithermal neutron activation determinations

Boron trioxide, boron nitride, boron carbide and elemental boron giving different boron surface densities have been used as neutron shields in epithermal neutron activation determinations. Boron ratios and advantage factors for 29 nuclides have been determined. A new expression of the advantage factor has been derived from statistics of radioactive decay viewpoint. A real improvement, in comparison with classical neutron activation methods, can be obtained for the determination of As, Br, Cd, I, Mo. Sb, Sn, Th, W and U by use of boron shields.     

Investigation of gamma-spectra of biological materials irradiated in the epithermal range of the reactor neutron spectrum

Irradiation of various biological materials in the nuclear reactor neutron epithermal flux allows the increase of the selectivity of the pure instrumental method of activation analysis for the definite set of tracers either not determined instrumentally during sample irradiation by the thermal neutron flux or determined with low sensitivity. The given paper describes a method of increasing the sensitivity of the instrumental neutron activation determination of As, Br, Mo, Cd, Sb, W and Au in biological materials at the level of the whole blood, tissue and subcellular components.     

Determination of iodine in human nails via epithermal neutron activation analysis

An epithermal instrumental neutron activation analysis (EINAA) method, using a boron nitride irradiation capsule compatible with use in the University of Missouri Research Reactor pneumatic-tube irradiation facility, has been developed for the analysis of iodine in human nails. The principal objective was to determine if the nail could be used as a means of monitoring dietary intake of iodine. The EINAA method was used to analyze nails from subjects having iodine intakes that could be qualitatively differentiated. Iodine concentrations in nails from these subjects were positively correlated with apparent iodine intake.     

Experimental evaluation of epithermal neutron self-shielding for 96Zr and 98Mo

In a previous work we experimentally tested some neutron self-shielding calculations methods for thermal absorbers, from which the semi-empirical “sigmoid method” gave the most accurate results. In this work we aim at evaluating the accuracy of this method on the epithermal self-shielding phenomena as compared to the analytical “MatSSF method”. Metallic foils of Zr and Mo were compactly stacked together into small cylinders (or disks) of different thickness, allowing for up to 20 % epithermal self-shielding when irradiated on two channels of the BR1 reactor. A 2 % relative difference between calculated and experimental self-shielding factors was obtained from the MatSSF method when a perpendicular source-sample axial configuration was assumed, while the isotropic or the co-axial configuration alternatives gave up to 10 % relative differences. On the other hand, the sigmoid method gave relative differences of up to 6 % that can be reduced to just 2 % by applying the “effective” epithermal absorption cross-sections for ⁹⁸Mo and ⁹⁶Zr proposed in this work.     

Design of a permanent Cd-shielded epithermal neutron irradiation site in the Syrian Miniature Neutron Source Reactor

A Cd-shield (cylindrical shell 1 mm in thickness, 34 mm in diameter and 180 mm in length) was used to design a permanent epithermal neutron irradiation site for epithermal neutron activation analysis (ENAA) in the Syrian Miniature Neutron Source Reactor (MNSR). This site was achieved by shielding the surface of the aluminum tube of one of the outer irradiation sites. The calculated depression ratio of thermal neutron flux was 1/10. Homogeneity of the neutron flux in the first outer irradiation site has been found numerically using the WIMSD4 and CITATION codes and experimentally by irradiating five short copper wires using the outer irradiation capsule. Good agreement was obtained between the calculated and the measured results of the neutron flux distributions.     

Determination of iodine in milk products and biological standard reference materials by epithermal neutron activation analysis

The biologically essential trace element, iodine, has been determined in various milk products by epithermal neutron activation analysis /ENAA/ after sealing in quartz and irradiating under cadmium cover. The method was extended to several IAEA and NBS biological reference materials.     

Uranium in coral skeletons determined by epithermal neutron activation analysis

A simple and non-destructive method has been proposed for the routine determination of uranium by epithermal neutron activation analysis in coral skeletons. Using a cadmium capsule, about 0.1-0.2 g samples were irradiated for 6 hours in the Triga Mark II Reactor. Measurements of -ray (²³⁹Np via ²³⁹U) were performed with each sample and standard after cooling for about three days. Compared with a non-destructive thermal NAA, the present method was found to improve the sensitivity because it reduced the intense Compton background induced by ²⁴Na. We determined uranium in coral standards within 2% of analytical precision. The data obtained for the carbonate standards are mostly consistent with reported values. The present method could be usefully applied to determine uranium contents in fossil corals from the Funafuti Atoll in the Pacific. The distribution of uranium between seawater and coral skeletons is also discussed in order to understand the environmental media in which the coral grew.     

Determination of trace elements in biological materials by instrumental epithermal neutron activation analysis

The use of reactor epithermal neutrons in instrumental activation analysis is described for the determination of trace elements via long-lived isotopes. A boron carbide filter is used. Results of analyses of human erythrocytes, plasma, urine and some biological reference materials are given to demonstrate the applicability of the method to biological samples. Bromine, iron, cesium, rubidium, selenium and zinc and cobalt are determined. The method provides accuracy and reliability similar to conventional thermal neutron activation but is faster. Limits of detection attainable with the two techniques are compared.     

Non-destructive determination of trace amounts of iodine in biological samples by epithermal neutron activation and Compton suppression gamma-ray spectrometry

In order to investigate the ingestion of iodine by human body and to know its content in organs, instrumental epithermal neutron activation analysis was used in conjunction with Compton suppression gamma-ray spectrometry by measuring the ¹²⁸I short-lived nuclide. The interferences of ²⁴Na and ³⁸Cl induced from NaCl in a sample were reduced by factors of about 6 and 15 to 41 by employing the epithermal neutron activation and Compton suppression gamma-ray spectrometry, respectively. The present method can be used to determine iodine at levels higher than 11 ppb. It was applied to the determination of iodine of more than 35 ppb in various biological reference materials.     

Thermal and epithermal neutron activation analysis using the monostandard method

A new approach is presented for neutron activation analysis using the monostandard (single comparator) method. Elements to be determined are classified into two groups; those with σ_o>I_o are activated with whole neutron spectrum (without Cd-cover), using a standard of the same group (e.g. Sc), while elements with I_o>σ_o are activated with epithermal neutrons (under Cd-cover) using a standard of the same group (e.g. Au or Co). Epithermal activation increases the number of determinable elements and its coupling with the monostandard method has the advantage of using a small Cd-cover. The σ_o and I₀ values of some elements were determined to test this approach.     

Non-destructive analysis of inorganic impurities in Brazilian coals by epithermal neutron activation

Twenty-two elements were identified and determined in different Brazilian coal samples by an epithermal neutron activation technique developed by the authors. The detection limits and the uncertainties of the results show that the technique can be used for routine analysis. The analysis of the complex gamma-ray spectra and the evaluation of the interfering activities are discussed in detail.     

Trace element analysis of biological materials by thermal and epithermal neutron activation analysis

A scheme for instrumental neutron activation analysis of biological materials is proposed. The scheme is based on a combination of thermal and epithermal activation. The accuracy is evaluated by analyzing 4 standard reference materials. Results from the analysis of human blood serum and plasma are given.     

Evaluation of high purity graphite sample containers for use with rapid instrumental epithermal neutron activation analysis

The suitability of graphite of spectral quality as a sample container in short irradiations for neutron activation analysis has been investigated. The material is found to be a viable alternative to polyethylene containers especially in high flux irradiation positions where the properties of the latter deteriorate as a result of high neutron and gamma dose rates. Examples of application are demonstrated in epithermal neutron irradiations of biological materials and the accuracy and precision of the determinations were assessed.     

Investigations on the comparator technique used in epithermal neutron activation analysis

The possible extension of the comparator technique of reactor neutron activation analysis into the field of epithermal neutron activation has been investigated. Ruthenium was used for multi-isotopic comparator. Experiments show that conversion of the so-called reference k-factors—determined by irradiation with reactor neutrons—into k_epi-factors usable at activation under cadmium filter, can be evaluated with fair accuracy. Sources and extent of errors and their contribution to the final error of analysis are discussed. Based on the paper presented at the 2nd European Conference on Analytical Chemistry, 25–30 August, 1975, Budapest, Hungary.