A rapid elemental analysis of fluids based on cyclic neutron activation analysis using a low-level isotopic neutron source

A cyclic thermal neutron activation technique and delayed γ-ray counting provides a quantitative assay that is specific, rapid, accurate, and sensitive for short-lived radioisotopes in solid or liquid samples. In this work, a prototype laboratory-scale system for rapid elemental assay of fluids by the cyclic technique using a 5 Ci 238Pu/Be neutron source has been developed. In each cycle a fluid sample of constant volume is transferred into a thermal neutron flux for activation and then to a detector for delayed γ-ray counting. The efficiency of cyclic timing schemes for detection of particular half-lives has been determined. An application to some specific analytical problems has been demonstrated. (author) (author)