Uranium content determination of ores in a truck

The description is given of an apparatus for determining the uranium level in an ore irrespective of knowing its radioactive balance. Its principle is as follows: the absorption cross-section of the gamma radiation by photoelectric effect is proportional to the 4.5 power of the atomic number Z of the absorbing element. The cross-section of photon scattering by Compton effect is a linear function of the rock density. The presence of a heavy element in the ore, even in a small quantity, will modify the gamma radiation spectrum in the low energy area whereas no significant modification will occur in the high energy range. The uranium will contribute significantly in deforming the spectrum of the radiation scattered by the environment. In order to use the method in a practical manner, two energy windows must be cut in the spectrum of the gamma radiation scattered: in the area of low energies to characterize the photoelectric effect and the range of high energies for the Compton effect. The tests performed have confirmed the validity of the selective natural gamma method