Purity control of aluminium metal

As a contribution to the neutron activation assay of the reactor grade aluminium, a number of elements have been investigated by a developed analytical scheme. With the performance of ion-exchange chromatography combined with the precipitation techniques, ppm concentration (or even less) of arsenic, antimony, calcium, copper, mercury, selenium and strontium contaminants were demonstrated with good reproducibility. Whenever possible, some of the elements analyzed by radioactivation and proved to be present in high concentration levels were assayed by other standard analytical methods.