252Cf applications at the Engineering Faculty, Rome

At the Nuclear Physics Laboratory 252Cf sources are employed in different fields of applications. A source of 1 μg of 252Cf is used for non-destructive analysis of ancient Roman and Greek silver coins. Besides coins in pure silver, other coins, called suberatae, were also struck which were made of silver-plated copper blanks. The method employed is based on the different neutron absorption of copper and silver. The equipment is easily transportable in museums and allows a suberate coin to be identified with measuring times of 10 seconds. A 252Cf source of 100 μg is employed by activation analysis. The system was used for the determination of vanadium in fuel oils. Trace elements in aqueous solutions were also studied by the same activation analysis system, and the minimum detectable limit improved by using a simple pre-enrichment ion-exchange resin system. Finally a neutron radiography device has been assembled. It employs a 100-μg 252Cf source and an image intensifier coupled to an ESICON tube in a high sensitivity TV system