Method of radiometric determination of thermal decarbonization degree of carbonates

From the thermally decarbonized raw material the first sample is taken prior to decarbonization and the second following decarbonization. Both samples are placed in a measuring container and irradiated with a gamma radiation beam while attenuated flux densities of gamma photons are detected. From the measured values corrected using experimentally determined parameters of the measuring system, the sought level of decarbonization is determined as the difference in the obtained numbers. The method allows continuous monitoring using a nondestructive contactless technique. The results from representative samples are immediate and independent of the chemical and physical properties of the input raw material. (Pu)