Characterization of 1 Ci 241Am-Be neutron source for developing PGNAA technique for non-destructive determination of 10B in boron-based control rod materials
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: A compact in-house PGNAA setup was established to analyze 10 B in boron-based neutron absorbers and shielding components. Neutron flux from the source was measured as a function of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) thickness, with a maximum flux of 3.2 × 10 3 n cm −2 s −1 at 24 mm HDPE. The setup was optimized for sample volume and observed a strong linear relationship between 10 B concentration and the 478 keV prompt gamma count rate, with a detection limit of 7.6 ppm. The calibration was subsequently applied to several simulated sample solutions, as well as boron carbide (B 4 C) and ferroboron (FeB) solutions, with varying levels of 10 B isotope enrichment. The analytical results obtained through PGNAA demonstrated strong concordance with those derived from Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICPMS), validating the reliability and accuracy of the in-house neutron-based analytical approach for 10 B determination.
Language: English
Subfield: Radiation
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,790
OpenAlex ID: W4413369260