Simultaneous determination of sodium, magnesium, aluminium, silicon and phosphorus by instrumental neutron-activation analysis using reactor and epithermal neutrons

Abstract

Sodium, magnesium, aluminium, silicon and phosphorus were determined simultaneously by measuring the activities of 24Na, 27Mg and 28Al produced by neutron activation once with reactor neutrons and once with epithermal neutrons (those neutrons from a nuclear reactor that are not absorbed by a cadmium sheet). The six countings gave six equations from which the required five quantities were calculated. Several known mixtures were checked, and the ranges in which Si and P could be determined were found (Si : Al and P : Al >10 : 1).