Activation Spectrometry in Chemical Analysis

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0471638447

Now accepted as a routine method of trace element analysis, activation analysis has provided industry with a highly reliable and rapid analytical tool that is also fully competitive with other techniques. Knowing the specifics of activation analysis has become essential for chemists, geologists, biologists, physicists, environmentalists, and archaeologists-specialists who need to know how to make the most effective use of the technique. In clear, easy-to-read language, Activation Spectrometry in Chemical Analysis provides a straightforward review of just what activation analysis can do, describing the technique as it is currently applied to analytical problems. With emphasis on activation spectrometry, the book outlines the specifics of the procedure, which, along with other activation analysis methods, have proven critical to the technique's success. The book describes the current status of activation spectrometry in a concise, three-part format: principles, techniques, and applications. Chapter 1 gives a brief overview of the capabilities of the method, relating it to other multi-elemental analytical techniques. Chapters 2 to 6 describe, without need of detailed physics, the principles of neutron activation and gamma ray spectrometry. Chapters 7 to 10, written for those interested in the technique itself, describe methods for sampling and preparing the material, creating standards, and choosing reference materials. Chapters 11 and 12 describe the irradiation and counting procedures commonly used in routine analysis. Concluding chapters describe the types of routine work application analysis has been applied to, specifically its biomedical, environmental, geological, and industrial applications. Each chapter is followed by numerous up-to-date references. Written for undergraduates and postgraduates in universities, research institutes, government, or industry by an experienced academic who acknowledged the absence of a suitable text, Activation Spectrometry in Chemical Analysis provides the first definitive look at the day-to-day and key uses of the method that is at once challenging and intriguing, yet simple to grasp.