Author/Editor		Jaćimović, R; Lazaru, A; Mihajlović, D; Ilić, R; Stafilov, T
Title		Determination of major and trace elements in some minerals by k0-instrumental neutron activation analysis
Type		članek
Source		J Radioan Nucl Ch
Vol. and No.		Letnik 253, št. 3
Publication year		2002
Volume		str. 427-34
Language		eng
Abstract		A method for the determination of major and trace elements in some minerals (orpiment, realgar, lorandite, dolomite and markasite) from the Allchar mine. Republic of Macedonia, based on k0 instrumental neutron activation analysis (k0 INAA) is presented. The concentration of U and Th in all investigated minerals was found to be <1 mg/kg. Data obtained for other trace elements (Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Sc, Se, Tb and Te) showed that the concentrations in the investigated minerals are also low (0.6-2 mg/kg for Ce, 0.1-17 mg/kg for Co, 0.4--6.7 mg/kg for Cr. 0.04-52 mg/kg for Cs, 0.006-3.5 mg/kg for Sc, 0.4-0.9 mg/kg for Se and 2.6 mg/kg for Te). The concentration of Fe, Ca, Mg, As and Sb in these minerals was found to be relatively high (0.02-40% for Fe, 0.3-21% for Ca, 0.03-13% for Mg, 0.4-53% for As and 8-270 mg/kg for Sb). This is because of the presence of some particles of iron minerals (marcasite and pyrite), and/or calcite, dolomite, stibnite and arsenic minerals, which are the most abundant minerals in the mine. The high concentration of As (>50%), especially in realgar and orpiment, due to the high background produced by 76As activity after irradiation by thermal neutrons, makes the determination of short-lived radionuclides present at micro levels by k0-INAA impossible. To increase the accuracy of the determination and to enlarge the number of elements measured, arsenic should be separated from the samples.
Descriptors		NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS MINERALS TRACE ELEMENTS MINING THALLIUM RADIOISOTOPES LEAD RADIOISOTOPES