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Detection of sulfur in soil samples using 2.5 MeV neutron activation

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Abstract

Sulfur concentrations in soil samples containing 4.4–13.47 wt% sulphur were measured in neutron inelastic scattering using dc beams of 2.5 MeV neutrons from a DD neutron generator. The measurements were carried out using 2230 keV prompt gamma rays from sulfur using a CeBr3 detector. The minimum detectable concentration (MDC) of sulfur was 0.68 ± 0.21 wt%. The present MDC value is about one-fifth of an earlier reported value of 3.50 wt% for 3.2 MeV neutron beams. This study has shown an improvement in the sulfur MDC achieved using 2.5 MeV neutron beam.

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Acknowledgements

The support provided by the Departments of Physics and Chemistry, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, is acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

    A. A. Naqvi, F. Z. Khiari, T. Al-Abdallah, F. A. Liadi & M. Raashid

  2. Department of Chemistry, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

    A. A. Isab

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  1. A. A. Naqvi
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  2. F. Z. Khiari
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  3. T. Al-Abdallah
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  4. F. A. Liadi
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  6. A. A. Isab
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Correspondence to A. A. Naqvi.

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Naqvi, A.A., Khiari, F.Z., Al-Abdallah, T. et al. Detection of sulfur in soil samples using 2.5 MeV neutron activation. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 321, 355–360 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-019-06589-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-019-06589-4

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