ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENTS FOR DETECTING AND ASSAYING BERYLLIUM ORES

Journal Article · Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1959 · Trans. Inst. Mining Met.

OSTI ID:4140280

Bowie, S H.U.; Burke, K C; Bisby, H; Hale, F H

The detection of beryllium-bearing minerals in the field and the subsequent mining of ore are facilitated by the use of a portable electronic instrument, employing boron trifluoride counters, to measure the neutrons emitted when beryllium is bombarded by gamma radiation of suitable energy. Similar equipment for laboratory use enables accurate analyses of beryllium ores to be made without the need of costly and time-consuming chemical analyses. The portable gamma-neutron equipment is used in the field in much the same way as a Geiger-Mueller or scintillation counter is used in the search for uranium. Observed count rates can be related to percentage BeO in the surface layers of rock and assays made in situ with considerable accuracy and at the same time quickly and cheaply. The limit of detection for a counting time of 10 minutes with a 100 mc Sb/sup 124/ source is about 5 ppm BeO. Possible interfering elements were considered in an appraisal of the laboratory apparatus and it is shown that, whereas corrections are required for differences in density of samples, only minor compensations are necessary where elements with a high neutron-capture cross section are present. The sensitivity of the laboratory gamma-neutron equipment depends on the source strength and counting time. in practice, the limit of detection is about 4 ppm BeO for a count of 10 minutes and 2 ppm for 60 minutes. (auth)

• Research Organization: Geological Survey of Great Britain, London; Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell, Berks, Eng.
• NSA Number: NSA-14-014948
• OSTI ID: 4140280
• Journal Information: Trans. Inst. Mining Met., Vol. Vol: 69; Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-60
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

GEOLOGY, MINERALOGY, AND METEOROLOGY
ACTIVATION ANALYSIS
ANTIMONY 124
BERYLLIUM
BERYLLIUM OXIDES
BORON FLUORIDES
CAPTURE
COUNTERS
CROSS SECTIONS
DENSITY
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
FILMS
GAMMA RADIATION
GAMMA SOURCES
INTERACTIONS
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
MINERALS
MINING
NEUTRON DETECTION
ORES
PROSPECTING
QUANTITY RATIO
SAMPLING
SENSITIVITY
SURFACES