Application of high-resolution PIXE to reactor materials

The spectrochemical analysis by particle induced x-ray emission (PIXE) has now become a familiar method for trace element determination. The PIXE is usually using an energy dispersive spectrometry owing to its inherent convenience and rapid determination. On the other hand, high resolution wavelength dispersion spectrometry is useful to obtain the precise information of the material like chemical state. In this work, the spectrochemical analysis by PIXE was performed using the Bragg's spectrometer. Proton or other heavy ion (N, O, or Ne) was selected as a projectile considering the target elements to be determined and the matrix. The detection limit for several light elements (Be, B, C, N, O, and F) was determined. Moreover, the method was applied for the surface element analysis of austenitic stainless steel which was exposed to flowing liquid metal sodium. It was found that chemical composition of the steel surface affected by flowing sodium was very much dependent on the sodium temperature, the up-stream or down-stream variation, and the oxygen concentration in sodium. (author)