Neutron activation analysis of the contents of impurities in pure bismuth by short-lived isotopes

An application of the instrumental neutron-activation analysis (INAA) for determining the contents of impurities in pure bismuth is presented in this paper. The elements Al, Cl, V, Mn, Cu and Ag are determined as impurities by their short-lived isotopes. Traces of silicon are found as well by irradiating the samples in a cadmium filter. The determination sensitivity is from 10-4 to 10-8 %. The activity is measured with a Ge (Li) γ-spectrometer with high resolution - 2.3 keV on the γ-line 1.332 MeV for 60Co. (author)