Phosphorus, sodium and sulphur measurements in compound samples using 2.5 MeV neutron activation

Phosphorous, sodium, and sulphur concentrations in soil mixed with sodium triphosphate, magnesium sulphate, and sodium chloride were analyzed in neutron activation with 2.5 MeV neutron dc beams using BGO and CeBr₃ detectors. Also, sulphur mixed with soil was analyzed using the BGO detector. The Minimum Detectable Concentrations were in the 0.31 ± 0.09-0.79 ± 0.24 wt.% range. The MDC of sulphur in magnesium sulphate measured by the BGO detector agrees with the previously reported value using the CeBr₃ detector. This study has provided useful data on MDCs of phosphorus, sodium, and sulphur in composite/compound bulk samples in fast neutron inelastic scattering. (author)