Study of dysprosium oxide X-ray intensity ratios by radioisotope induced X-ray fluorescence

Dysprosium's high thermal-neutron absorption cross-section makes dysprosium-oxide-nickel cermets useful as neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors. Nuclear reactors need a material with such properties to make control rods for absorbing neutrons and, thereby, cooling the nuclear reaction process. Importantly, the cermets neither swell nor contract under neutron bombardment, although it does change shape within a magnetic field. Dysprosium oxide nanocrystals can also used as a high surface area for catalytic compounds. And, while the primary market for dysprosium-containing NdFeB magnets are alternative energy automobiles, these magnets can also be found in other high-temperature motors and generators, commercial and industrial generators, including wind turbines, electric bicycles and energy storage systems, maglev train systems, gauges, relays and switches, magnetic separation tools, sensors, MRIs, and magnetic refrigeration units amongst various other applications., Dysprosium oxide, meanwhile, is used as a dopant in specialized capacitors for the electronics industry. Besides dysprosium oxide (neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors, various data storage applications, and in improving the corrosion resistance of the magnets) are also important. The rare earth's ability to be magnetized also makes it ideal for components in hard disks and other data-storage. Due to its versatile application, we studied the X-ray intensity ratios of various Dy₂O₃ compounds of different weight and dilution factors in obtaining Dy chemical structure using radioisotope induced EDXRF using 100mCi Am²⁴¹ source. It was seen that variation in dilution changes X-ray intensity ratios.(author)