Determination of carbon in metals by photon activation

Determination of carbon in metals was achieved by the¹²C(γ, n)¹¹C reaction in 35 MeV photons. We showed that usual methods of carbon separation such as fusion in an oxidizing bath heated by a high-frequency furnace are suitable only for a few metals. We developed two new separation methods: fusion in an alkaline bath followed by acidification and attack in a hot acid solution. The experimental conditions fitted for many metals and alloys (Ag, Al, Cr, Fe, Mo, Ni, Se, Ti, W, Zn. AlMg, ZnMgTe) were systematically studied. The analytical procedures were controlled using specially prepared standard alloys containing a known quantity of radioactive¹¹C.