Analysis of alloys and salt solutions by 'beta'-ray back-scattering

This investigation reports the results of a study undertaken to assess the suitability of using the GM counter for measuring the intensity of β-backscattered radiation to determine the chemical composition of binary solid alloys, and aqueous salt solutions containing a metallic radical. The results indicate that the technique is not suitable for the determination of the composition of binary alloys since the error is in the range of 1.2 to 2.3 wt-% metal. The technique can be conveniently adapted for aqueous salt solutions where the maximum error is approximately 0.2 wt-% metal for metallic elements with atomic number greater than 20. (author)