Formation cross section of iron-60 with reactor neutrons in⁵⁹Fe(n, γ)⁶⁰Fe reaction

Abstract

Ingrowth of⁶⁰Co radioactivity in an iron sample irradiated in a nuclear reactor has been measured for determination of formation cross section of⁶⁰Fe in the⁵⁹Fe(n, γ)⁶⁰Fe reaction with reactor neutrons. After 5 years cooling, the irradiated iron was purified from⁶⁰Co and other radioactive nuclides by an anion exchange separation method and isopropyl ether extraction in hydrochloric acid. The amount of⁶⁰Co ingrowth was measured by γ-spectrometry using a Ge-detector coupled to a multichannel pulse height analyzer 4 years after the purification of iron. Neutron flux of the irradiation position was calculated from the amount of⁵⁵Fe produced. The observed value of 12.5±2.8 barn is slightly greater than reported value for burnup cross section of⁵⁹Fe(n, x)X, where x refers γ, α, d, p and 2n, and X is any nuclide produced by the above reactions.