Development and applications of the k0-based internal mono standard INAA method

The k0-based internal monostandard instrumental neutron activation analysis (IM-INAA) method, developed and standardized in our laboratory, is capable of analyzing both small and large samples of different sizes and shapes. Use of in-situ relative efficiency makes the method geometry independent. In this paper, we present the development of this methodology and applications to two types of alloys namely, stainless steel and brass. A stainless steel certified reference material, BCS 466 was also analyzed to evaluate the accuracy of the method. Absolute concentrations in these alloys were arrived by a standard-less method. The method has also been applied for the analysis of large-size wheat samples (0.45–1 kg) and the results were compared with the data obtained for selected elements in sub-samples (50–1000 mg).