Nuclear methods and radionuclides in metallurgical practice in recent years

An informative survey is presented on the use of nuclear technology in the research of metallurgic processes. The problems are briefly listed which have been solved at the Research Institute of Iron Metallurgy in Dobra. They include: the research of sources of exogenous and endogenous nonmetallic inclusions in steel, the wear of linings, the research of the main sources of sulfur in steel melts and the pollution of steels with coke ash, the rate of the dissolution and homogenization of alloy additions in steel, the detection of causes of defects in rolled steel products, the determination of trace elements and microalloy additions by neutron activation analysis. The radioisotope laboratory of the Mining College in Ostrava studied the following problems: the determination of time constants of the passage of material through different junctions during agglomeration, the use of a neutron moisture gauge for measuring foundry raw materials and fuels, the study of steel forming by tracer techniques, nondestructive materials testing in motion and the optimization of crack detection equipment. (M.D.)