The preparation and use of radioactive tracers for the study of comminution processes. Part I

As part of an investigation of the radioactive tracer method for the study of comminution processes, the distribution of radioactive isotopes in various particle sizes after grinding was investigated. It is found that certain apparently homogeneous materials break down into fragments of different elemental compositions upon comminution. Moreover, comminution also affects the average elemental composition of the unbroken particles. Under such circumstances the gross counting of all radioisotopes produced by irradiation in a nuclear reactor is not applicable as a tracer method in the study of comminution. Refinement of this technique using gamma-ray spectroscopy may reveal the presence of suitable specific elements which can be used individually as tracers. (Auth.)