Prompt gamma activation analysis for boron determination in the tens of milligram range at the HOTNES facility

Abstract

Boron is an elective element for the Prompt Gamma Activation Analysis (PGAA), due to its exceptionally large neutron capture cross section. This technique, usually performed in nuclear reactors with neutron fluxes as high as 108 cm−2 s−1, can determine quantities of boron as low as tens of nanograms. Some applications, such as the industry of neutron shielding materials, would better benefit from a less sensitive but more portable and accessible boron PGAA, which could be established at construction or fabrication sites. For these purposes ENEA and INFN jointly setup a compact PGAA based on a 0.5 cm3 Cadmium–Zinc–Telluride gamma spectrometer and the HOTNES thermal neutron source. Relying on a series of borated resins with known composition and on comprehensive experimental and Monte Carlo evaluations, this technique features a detection limit in the order of few milligrams in terms of boron mass. As the facility consists simply on a lab-scale neutron source and a polyethylene block with well-established geometry, this simplified PGAA system is suited to be replicated or transported to construction or fabrication sites for QA/QC purposes on borated construction materials for the nuclear sector.