Application of non-destructive analysis methods in TENMAK-PAF

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Physics
• Materials Science
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Non-destructive analysis methods are crucial for material characterization.
• The Turkish Energy, Nuclear and Minerals Research Agency (TENMAK-PAF) aimed to establish advanced ion beam analysis capabilities.
• Proton accelerators offer versatile platforms for elemental and isotopic analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement non-destructive analysis systems at the TENMAK-PAF R&D beamline.
• To adapt a proton beam for applications in Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) and Particle Induced Gamma ray Emission (PIGE).
• To validate the performance of the developed system using certified reference materials.

Main Methods:

• Modification of a proton beam (15-30 MeV, 0.1 μA-1.2 mA) from a cyclotron.
• Irradiation of certified reference materials and samples under vacuum.
• Acquisition of PIXE and PIGE spectra using specialized radiation detectors.
• Comparison of PIXE results with X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry.

Main Results:

• Successful development of a non-destructive analysis system at TENMAK-PAF.
• PIXE and PIGE analyses yielded results in good agreement with certified values.
• Demonstrated the feasibility of using ion beam analysis for material characterization in Türkiye.

Conclusions:

• The new non-destructive analysis system at TENMAK-PAF is effective for material characterization.
• PIXE and PIGE are reliable techniques for elemental analysis, validated by CRM data.
• This work marks the first application of non-destructive ion beam analysis methods in TENMAK-PAF and Türkiye.