Activation analysis, FNAA

Until now, little attention has been given to the analysis of ancient copper alloys with LA-ICP-MS. This type of material is usually analyzed with fast or instrumental neutron activation analysis (FNAA or INAA), particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry or inductively coupled plasma-atomic absorption spectrometry (ICP-AES or ICP-AAS). Some of these techniques are destructive and involve extensive sample preparation, some measure only surface compositions, and some require access to a cyclotron or a reactor. LA-ICP-MS is riot affected by any of these inconveniences. We propose here an analytical protocol for copper alloys using LA-ICP-MS and present its application to the study of Matisse bronze sculptures. 

The NAA technique makes use of the slow neutrons. However, the epithermal and fast neutrons may also be used for the activation. An NAA technique that employs only epithermal neutrons to induce (n, y) reactions by irradiating the samples being analyzed inside either cadmium or boron shields is called epithermal neutron activation analysis (ENAA). An NAA technique that employs nuclear reactions induced by fast neutrons is called fast neutron activation analysis (FNAA). 

ENAA epithermal neutron activation analysis FNAA fast-neutron activation analysis FWHM full width at half maximum I beam intensity... 

Comparison of Various FNAA Techniques for Assay of Synthetic Octol Samples Precision of Single-Axis Rotation FNAA for Assay of Octol Plant Samples Fast Neutron Activation Analysis for Nitrogen in Explosives by... 

FNAA fast neutron activation analysis IP ion pairing... 

In Table 2, results are given comparing the three above FNAA techniques for total nitrogen and corresponding HMX content of three synthetic Octol samples containing 70, 60 and 80% HMX respectively. Chemical analysis by extraction is also included as another basis for comparison. An 80/20 Octol (80% HMX) was used as the reference standard for the activation assays... 

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