Ti-T Target Research Articles

The determination of oxygen in zirconium by radio activation with 14 MeV neutrons: E. Cerrai and F. Gadda, Energia Nucleare, 9 (1962), 317

The determination of oxygen in two zirconium specimens was carried out by radioactivation with 14-Mev neutrons through the O/sup 16/(n,p)N/sup 16/ reaction. Fast neutrons were produced by bombarding with a 150 k static accelerator a Ti-T target with deuterons. A source intensity of 10/sup 9/. neutrons/sec was obtained. Specimens in the form of 20 mm diameter disks were irradiated at the same time of reference standards. As a reference, SAP disks having a known content of oxygen were used. Due to the short half life of N/sup 16/ (7.4 sec) the oxygen measurements were done referring to the activity of aluminum (Mg/sup 27/) which had been previously calibrated towand oxygen. Therefore the same measurement method can be applied to aluminum. Specimens were rapidly transferred from the irradiation facility to the counting room by means of a pneumatic circuit 30 m long. The sensitivity of the method described is about 1 to 2 mg O/sub 2/ per g Zr and the accuracy within plus or minus 10%. With suitable corrections of measurements and a different counting method, sensitivity could be increased. (auth)