A neutron activation analysis of selenium,arsenic and antimony in rocks and sediments by simultaneous evolution with bromide-strong phosphoric acid reagent

A rapid and sensitive method for the neutron activation analysis of selenium, arsenic, and antimony is described. These elements and their compounds present in rocks and sediments were simultaneously evolved as their gaseous bromides from sodium bromide-strong phosphoric acid medium only by heating the irradiated samples in the medium. The evolved gas was absorbed in an appropriate absorption solution and then each element was finally recovered as metals for selenium and arsenic, and as sulphide for antimony. The preferable conditions for the distillation and for the separation of these elements are discussed. The method thus established was applied for the activation analyses of rocks and of river sediments, and profitable data were obtained. Part of this work was performed at the Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University.