Trace determination of oxygen in gold-copper alloys and in high purity gold using3He and4He activation analysis

Trace amounts of oxygen in gold-copper alloys and high purity gold have been determined by³He and⁴He activation analysis. Interferences from the matrix have been identified and the factors which can have an effect upon the precision and the accuracy of the method have been investigated. Thus a destructive technique has been choosen. The¹⁸F produced was chemically separated by steam distillation and precipitated as PbClF. The values of the oxygen concentration were found to range between 0.2 and 2 μg·g⁻¹ depending on the copper concentration and the thermal treatment applied to the samples. A possible mechanism of internal oxidation is presented.