Neutron activation analysis of gold in teak (tectona grandis)

The amount of gold in teak had been determined by using neutron activation technique. The neutron flux utilized was of the order of 1010n/cm2/sec. As usual the spectrum of the energy peak of gold was identified using a gamma-multichannel pulse height analyzer. The sensitivity for gold was approximately 10-7g. In teak especially Na, As, Cu, Mn and La were interfering elements in the energy region of 0.4-0.8 MeV. With the result, the non-destructive analysis only was not possible and radiochemical separation was found essential. The gold content of teak was 0.58+0.0037 ppm