Importance of the neutron activation analysis for the determination of elements in different organic materials

Abstract

Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) was the analytical technique used to determine the concentrations of As, Ba, Br, Ca, Ce, Cl, Co, Cr, Fe, La, K, Mg, Mn, Pr, Sb, Sm, V and Zn in the following materials: petroleum, rubber, plastics and petroleum coke. The precision of the results were mostly between 1 and 20%. The technique is non-destructive and fast for Cl, Cu, Mg and V analyses. For this reason, INAA showed to be a good option to be applied in organic matrices.