K0-NAA for the Determination of Trace Elements in a Synthetic Material: a Collaborative Study

As part of an interlaboratory comparison in order to qualify a synthetic material to be used for the validation of the proper implementation of k0-Neutron Activation Analysis a collaborative trial was organised. Based on this collaborative study repeatability relative standard deviations ranging typically from 1 to 2% could be achieved, while reproducibility relative standard deviations ranged typically from 2 to 5 %. The obtained data demonstrate that the precision in k0-Neutron Activation Analysis is practically independent of the concentration over a range covering four orders of magnitude. The data show that k0-Neutron Activation Analysis is very precise over a wide concentration and fit for purpose for those clients who rely on the Horwitz equation to define their precision performance criteria. The study also shows that for Ce and Mo further experimental studies are needed.