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Determination of carbon in steels using particle-induced gamma ray spectrometry

A. ENE1,* , I. V. POPESCU2, T. B DIC b3

Affiliation

  1. Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galai, Domneasca 111, 800201 Galati, Romania
  2. Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, “Valahia” University of Târgoviste, Romania
  3. “Horia Hulubei” National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering, P.O. MG-6, Mgurele, Bucharest, Romania

Abstract

The analytical use of prompt gamma rays arising from the nuclear reactions 12C (p, p’γ) 12C, 12C (p, γ) 13N, 12C (p, n) 12N, 13C (p, p’γ) 13C, 12C(d, p)13C, 12C(d, n)13N induced by 5.5 MeV protons and 5 MeV deuterons during the bombardment of steel targets has been investigated. Being an on-line technique, the sensitivity of prompt γ-ray analysis using protons (p-PIGE) or deuterons (d-PIGE) critically depends on the level of background activities from the matrix nuclides under proton and deuteron irradiation. Carbon can be determined in steel from the very high yields of the 4439.1 keV (1,0) gamma-rays resulted respectively from the reaction 12C (p, p’γ) 12C, as wel as the 3089.4 keV (1,0), 3684.5 keV (2,0) and 3853.8 keV (3,0) gamma-rays resulted from the reaction 12C(d, p)13C, the excellent peak to background ratio and the absence of other peaks in the 3-4 MeV energy range leading to a good sensitivity. From the PIGE spectra we have obtained a detection limit of carbon determination in a steel standard target (with a carbon concentration of 670 ppm) of 10 ppm in p-PIGE and 12 ppm in d-PIGE, which are much lesser than the reported values in the literature, of 800 ppm for pure carbon target in p-PIGE analysis, and 270 ppm in iron matrix in d-PIGE analysis..

Keywords

Steels, Carbon determination, PIGE analysis, Nuclear reactions, Proton and deuteron irradiation.

Submitted at: Oct. 14, 2005
Accepted at: Jan. 26, 2006

Citation

A. ENE, I. V. POPESCU, T. B DIC b, Determination of carbon in steels using particle-induced gamma ray spectrometry, Journal of Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials Vol. 8, Iss. 1, pp. 222-224 (2006)