Characterisation of synthetic multi-element standards (SMELS) used for the validation of k0-NAA

A synthetic multi-element standard material (SMELS) has been prepared for the validation of k0-standardised Neutron-Activation Analysis (k0-NAA). SMELS consists of three different materials in a polymer matrix spiked with different elements, so that each material can be used for an elemental analysis monitoring respectively short lived (SMELS Type I), medium (Type II) and long-lived (Type III) radionuclides. In previous studies the homogeneity and radiation stability of the material have been proven. The final step, discussed in this article, is the characterisation of the material in terms of the elemental content by neutron-activation analysis techniques.