Research on the Standard Single Element Response Spectrum (SSERS) method for bulk samples determination with PGAA technology

Abstract

Prompt gamma ray activation analysis (PGAA) is a powerful non-destructive analytical method for bulk chemical composition. The prompt gamma ray spectra usually contain lots of peaks, and the measuring accuracy is often affected by the overlapping peaks and interference from neutron self-shielding effect, especially for filed application with a scintillator detector. Qualitative and quantitative analyses can only be performed by reliable spectra analytical approach. In this work, a new spectrum analysis method, which based on the elemental library spectra together with the neutron self-shielding correction model, is investigated for bulk sample determination. Based on the corrected measured spectra of complex samples after neutron self-shielding correction, the Standard Single Element Response Spectra (SSERS) are calculated for establishing the elemental library. For investigating the feasibility of the mentioned method, the method was applied for element detection of aqueous solutions containing chlorine (Cl), boron (B), cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg), with a designed PGAA detection system. The results indicate that the new spectra analytical method is efficient for bulk sample determination and accurate for the elemental analysis for aqueous solutions under the present experimental conditions.