A Priori Method of Using Photon Activation Analysis to Determine Unknown Trace Element Concentrations in NIST Standards

Journal Article · Tue Mar 10 00:00:00 EDT 2009 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3120190· OSTI ID:21289684

Green, Jaromy; Zaijing, Sun ^[1]; Wells, Doug ^[1]; Benson, Buck; Maschner, Herb ^[2]

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1. Idaho State University-Physics Department, Idaho 83406 (United States)
2. Idaho State University-Anthropology Department (United States)

Photon activation analysis detected elements in two NIST standards that did not have reported concentration values. A method is currently being developed to infer these concentrations by using scaling parameters and the appropriate known quantities within the NIST standard itself. Scaling parameters include: threshold, peak and endpoint energies; photo-nuclear cross sections for specific isotopes; Bremstrahlung spectrum; target thickness; and photon flux. Photo-nuclear cross sections and energies from the unknown elements must also be known. With these quantities, the same integral was performed for both the known and unknown elements resulting in an inference of the concentration of the un-reported element based on the reported value. Since Rb and Mn were elements that were reported in the standards, and because they had well-identified peaks, they were used as the standards of inference to determine concentrations of the unreported elements of As, I, Nb, Y, and Zr. This method was tested by choosing other known elements within the standards and inferring a value based on the stated procedure. The reported value of Mn in the first NIST standard was 403{+-}15 ppm and the reported value of Ca in the second NIST standard was 87000 ppm (no reported uncertainty). The inferred concentrations were 370{+-}23 ppm and 80200{+-}8700 ppm respectively.

• OSTI ID: 21289684
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 1099, Issue 1; Conference: CAARI 2008: 12. international conference on application of accelerators in research and industry, Fort Worth, TX (United States), 10-15 Aug 2008; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3120190; (c) 2009 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
ARSENIC
BREMSSTRAHLUNG
CALCIUM
CONCENTRATION RATIO
CROSS SECTIONS
INDIUM
MANGANESE
MULTI-ELEMENT ANALYSIS
NIOBIUM
PHOTON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS
PHOTONUCLEAR REACTIONS
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RUBIDIUM
STANDARDS
TRACE AMOUNTS
YTTRIUM
ZIRCONIUM