Application of the Cd-Lined Irradiation Channel of NIRR-1 and Implementation of the k0-IAEA program to Evaluate Elemental Contents in Clay Samples.

Abstract

The application of the Cd-lined irradiation channel of the Nigeria Research Reactor-1 (NIRR-1) and implementation of k0-standardization method has been performed on some clay potteries from Tatiko locality, in Niger State-Nigeria. In terms of quality control and assurance of results by the used of the k0-IAEA installed software, the analysis of the IAEA-SL-1 Lake sediment and the NIST-Coal Fly Ash 1633b were validated. The samples and the Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) were irradiated together with the neutron flux setting of 5.0×1011 n cm-2 s-1 for six hours. After waiting periods of one to five days, the gamma-rays (energies) from the activated samples were measured using the vertical dip-stick ORTEC-GEM-30195 HPGe coaxial detector, with resolution (FWHM) at 1.33 MeV, 60Co to be 1.85 keV and at 122 keV, 57Co to be 0.85 keV. The results obtained using the software agreed well with the certified values of the SRMs. Also, twenty six elements; Al, Mg, Ti, V, Na, K, Dy, Mn, Sc, Co, Rb, Cs, Ba, Eu, Lu, Hf, Ta, Th/Pa, Cr, Fe, As, Br, La, U/Np, Sm and Yb were determined quantitatively using the k0-IAEA installed software. Among these elements, the concentration in ppm of six rare earth elements (REE) were identified; Dy, Eu, Lu, Yb La and Sm. The overall uncertainties found in the overall analysis of the above mentioned elemental concentrations were generally very low within a statistical value of less than ±2 standard deviation.