Determination of boron in rocks, coal and coal ASH How does use of the ~11B(p, alpha) reaction compare with conventional techniques?

摘要

The determination of boron by nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) employing the ~11B(p, alpha)~8Be reaction is compared with several conventional techniques for boron determination in several different matrices. It is found that good correspondence is obtained with United States Geological Survey standard rock powders, but for coal and coal ash significant and variable differences are found between NRA and wet chemical and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emision spectroscopy, raising questions about the possible effects of microscopic sample inhomogeneity on alpha particle yield in the NRA method.