Determination of hydrogen in liquids by neutron thermalization

A modified neutron thermalization technique for determining the hydrogen density in liquids flowing through pipelines is presented. The measuring head includes a neutron source emitting 5 x 105 neutrons/s, BF3-filled proportional counter and a special housing made of moderating, reflecting and absorbing materials. The technique is particularly applicable to monitoring the concentration of H2SO4 in water solutions. A reproducibility of 0.5% can be easily achieved for determining the H2SO4 content ranging from 80 to 100 wt%. (author)