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THE USE OF THE ($alpha$,n$gamma$) REACTION IN DETERMINING THE CONTENT OF BERYLLIUM IN MINERAL CONCENTRATES (in Russian)

Journal Article · · Doklady Akad. Nauk S.S.S.R.
OSTI ID:4791233
The analysis of Be by a ( gamma ,n) reaction with the use of an Sb/sup 124/ source is highly selective, but suffers from the disadvantage that a large amount of shielding and a large amount of sample are required. The ( alpha ,n) reaction with the use of a Po-Be or a Ra-Be source is suitable except when fluorite is presented in the concentrate. The interferences from boron, fluorine, or lithium in the determination of Be by an ( alpha ,n) reaction can be avoided by counting the hard gamma rays (4.45 and 7.65 Mev) which are emitted by the excited nucleus of C/sup 12/ which is formed as an intermediaten Be/sup 9/ + He/sup 4/ - C/sup 12/ + n/sup 1/. A single- channel, NaI scintillation counter with a discriminator setting of 15 volts cuts out the 0.8 Mev gamma from the Po/ sup 210/ source, and counts only the hard gammas from the excited C/sup 12/ nucleus. Mixtures of Be/sub 3/Al/(Si/sub 6/O/sub 18/) and fluorite (CaF/sub 2/) were irra diated from an alpha source, and it was found that the gamma count (4 Mev or higher in energy) was directly proportional to the Be content. The presence of fluorite did not interfere with the analysis. The relative error did not exceed 15% for a 1% BeO content and, a 30 min. counting time. If the activity of the alpha -source is increased from 5 mc to about one curie, a few hundreths of a percent of BeO can readily be determined in alloys or in solution. (TTT)
Research Organization:
Stochinskii Mining Inst., Academy of Sciences, USSR
NSA Number:
NSA-16-011545
OSTI ID:
4791233
Journal Information:
Doklady Akad. Nauk S.S.S.R., Journal Name: Doklady Akad. Nauk S.S.S.R. Vol. Vol: 142
Country of Publication:
Country unknown/Code not available
Language:
Russian