Investigation of new applications for thermal neutron absorptiometry and neutron scattering

Thesis/Dissertation · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:5852593

Sutton, Jr, R L

Previous uses for thermal neutron absorptiometry and neutron scattering by other researchers are reexamined, and new applications for these techniques are presented. The fact that chlorine, which is the most abundant solute element in sea water, is responsible for nearly all of the thermal neutron absorbing character of sea water allows the use of thermal neutron absorptiometry for the determination of effective chlorine in batch samples of sea water. The use of surrogate standard, or a standard not reflecting the actual state of chlorine in sea water, for calibration of the apparatus was devised and tested. Comparisons with measurements made by more established techniques were made. The possible effects of large quantities of particles in suspension on the response of the technique was investigated. Also, the effects of precipitation of a solid which contains a highly thermal neutron absorbing element was addressed. Precipitate effects on the thermal neutron processes may prove to be useful in process analytical chemistry applications. Neutron scattering has been employed for the determination of soil moisture by the use of surface and sub-surface probes. The use of a moderator apparatus for water content measurements was tested and found useful for analysis of a rock aggregate system and phosphoric acid filtrate stream samples. The possible effects of ambient temperature changes on thermal neutron processes had not been extensively investigated. Measurements of the effects of ambient temperature changes were conducted with the moderator apparantus and an in situ probe system to differentiate general effects from solvent effects.

• Research Organization: University of South Florida, Tampa (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5852593
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400101* -- Activation
Nuclear Reaction
Radiometric & Radiochemical Procedures
510200 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
520200 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ABSORPTION
BARYON REACTIONS
BARYONS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHLORINE
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
FERMIONS
HADRON REACTIONS
HADRONS
HALOGENS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MOISTURE
NEUTRON REACTIONS
NEUTRONS
NONMETALS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEON REACTIONS
NUCLEONS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
SCATTERING
SEAWATER
SOILS
THERMAL NEUTRONS
WATER