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Oxygen determination in calcium fluoride by deuteron activation analysis
C S Sastri1, G Blondiaux, P Hoffmann
1Fachbereich Materialwissenschaft, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany.
Fresenius' Journal of Analytical Chemistry
|February 28, 2001
Summary
Trace oxygen in calcium fluoride was quantified using deuteron activation analysis. This method, based on the 16O(d,n)17F nuclear reaction, was applied to both powders and single crystals.
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Nuclear Physics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Accurate quantification of trace impurities is crucial for understanding material properties.
- Calcium fluoride (CaF2) is a widely used optical material where oxygen impurities can affect performance.
- Instrumental activation analysis offers high sensitivity for trace element detection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine trace oxygen levels in calcium fluoride samples.
- To evaluate the suitability of instrumental deuteron activation analysis for this purpose.
- To compare oxygen concentrations in CaF2 powders versus single crystals.
Main Methods:
- Instrumental deuteron activation analysis utilizing the 16O(d,n)17F nuclear reaction.
- Irradiation of samples with 2.5 MeV deuterons for 60 seconds at beam currents of 300-500 nA.
- Analysis of the resulting 17F gamma-ray emissions.
Main Results:
- Successful determination of trace oxygen concentrations in calcium fluoride.
- Demonstration of the 16O(d,n)17F reaction's effectiveness for oxygen analysis in CaF2.
- Comparative data on oxygen levels in powdered and single-crystal CaF2.
Conclusions:
- Instrumental deuteron activation analysis is a viable technique for quantifying trace oxygen in calcium fluoride.
- The method provides comparable results for both powder and single-crystal forms.
- This analysis contributes to the quality control and characterization of calcium fluoride materials.