J.RADIOANAL.NUCL.CHEM.

,LETTERS

187

(2)

113-116

(1994)

D E T E R M I N A T I O N OF M A N G A N E S E OF M Y A N M A R BY N E U T R O N

IN SOME P Y R O L U S I T E ORES ACTIVATION ANALYSIS

Myint

Us Myo Than

Swe

D e p a r t m e n t of C h e m i s t r y , U n i v e r s i t y of Yangon, Yangon, M y a n m a r

Received Accepted

2 November 15 N o v e m b e r

1993 1993

M a n g a n e s e in p y r o l u s i t e ores from v a r i o u s r e g i o n s of M y a n m a r was d e t e r m i n e d by thermal n e u t r o n a c t i v a t i o n a n a l y s i s u s i n g an Am(Be) n e u t r o n source. The i n d u c e d activities of 56Mn w e r e m o n i t o r e d by a y - c o u n t i n g technique.

INTRODUCTION Radionuclide and i n e x p e n s i v e controlling vantageous vated, neutron with sources are r e l a t i v e l y simple

no r e q u i r e m e n t s These neutron

for c o m p l i c a t e d sources are adis actinon-

mechanisms. when only

the e l e m e n t

of i n t e r e s t

since

the d e t e r m i n a t i o n (by m e a s u r i n g these field sources

can be p e r f o r m e d

destructively sample). analysis Thus, under

the a c t i v i t y

of the entire for fast a geologisources be deter-

m a y be a d o p t e d (e.g.~

conditions

during of these that may

cal survey). is limited. mined have

However,

the a p p l i c a t i o n the e l e m e n t s

In practice, activation

cross-sections
113

greater

than about

Elsevier Science S. A., Lausanne

Akad~miai Kiad6, Budapest

MY1NT U, MYO THAN SWE: DETERMINATION OF MANGANESE IN PYROLUSITE

10 b a r n s 2-3 days.

and

half-lives

ranging

from

several

seconds

to

Neutron E

activation

of m a n g a n e s e

yields for

56Mn

(T = 2.56 h, activato be

= 0 . 8 4 7 MeV). T h e c r o s s - s e c t i o n Y t i o n is 13 b a r n s . In o u r c a s e , t h e has a large of The activation other

thermal

element

isotope

determined the are thus nese

cross-section,

whereas

cross-section negligible. predominant is p r e s e n t

the

elements

in p y r o l u s i t e is manga-

activity

induced

in m a n g a n e s e Because tens the

after at

irradiation. of several are

levels

of p e r c e n t s , for the

radionuclide neutron I activation .

sources

sufficient

EXPERIMENTAL Neutron Am(Be) vation tion of source radionuclide neutron n.cm2 source .sec was was For used. used for acti-

with the

~ = 3.66xi04 fast neutron,

thermaliza-

water

SamPles, The

standard samples

and

radioactivity were

measurement ores from Thazi

studied

pyrolusite

(1 s a m p l e ) , (I s a m p l e ) , 3 g targets targets Am(Be) life. and

Southern Tagaung of these

Shan

State

(5 s a m p l e s ) , and Popa

Kyaukpadaung About

(I s a m p l e ) samples with

(I s a m p l e ) . made from to

were

powdered, neutrons according

into the its half-

activated 56Mn

thermal

source.

was

identified

A manganese(IV) standard. tored with The

oxide of

sample

of

3 g was and

used

as monito a

activity

standard

sample

were

a NaI(TI)

scintillation
J14

detector

coupled

MYINT U, MYO THAN SWE: DETERMINATION OF MANGANESE IN PYROLUSITE

TABLE C o n t e n t of m a n g a n e s e Sample No. I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Kyaukpadaung Popa Tagaung Thazi S. Shan State S. Shan S t a t e S. Shan S t a t e S. S h a n State I 2 3 4 5 Sample

I ores % C 53.50 58.28 24.31 25.55 18.25 9.75 28.91 23.36 14.56 of M y a n m a r Average, % 52 57 55 2 7 23 67 24 5 5 17 42 9 51 27.87 22.37 14.19

in some p y r o l u s i t e Manganese A 51.58 52.30 23.09 23.14 16.67 9.26 26.89 21.38 13.78 content, B 52.63 55.22 23.60 24.97 17.34 9.51 27.80 22.37 14.23

S. Shan State

Canberra multichannel were cy, corrected

analyzer.

The m e a s u r e d

activities efficien-

for decay,

y-abundance,

counting

y-attenuation

and n e u t r o n

self-shielding

effects.

RESULTS

AND D I S C U S S I O N of our d e t e r m i n a t i o n s of m a n g a n e s e and P o p a are s h o w n in T a b l e f o u n d in samples. If it

The r e s u l t s

I. V e r y h i g h c o n t e n t s Kyaukpadaung is a s s u m e d (52.57%)

were

(55.27%)

that m a n g a n e s e

in these

samples

is in the

form of m a n g a n e s e ( I V ) estimated to be a b o v e

oxide, 80%.

the a m o u n t of MnO 2 can be

Low m a n g a n e s e Tagaung area (23.67%),

contents Thazi

were

found in s a m p l e s and S o u t h e r n

from

(24.89%)

S h a n State

(from 9.51%

to 27.87%). the f e a s i b i l i t y of n e u t r o n employing

Our r e s u l t s activation

demonstrated of ores

analysis

like p y r o l u s i t e

115

MYINT U, MYO THAN SWE: DETERMINATION OF MANGANESE IN PYROLUSITE

Am(Be)

neutron

source.

Since

the h a l f - l i f e activity was

of 56Mn is found after

only a b o u t 2.5 h, no r e s i d u a l a decay period of o n e day.

Furthermore, the m e t h o d once

since no c h e m i is less time-

cal s e p a r a t i o n was r e q u i r e d , consuming and less e x p e n s i v e

a set-up

for r o u t i n e

measurement

is e s t a b l i s h e d .

The a u t h o r s assigned search

are t h a n k f u l

to Prof.

J. T 6 1 g y e s s y , Chemistry Re-

as IAEA E x p e r t

to the N u c l e a r

Laboratory

of the U n i v e r s i t y and help

of Y a n g o n ,

for up of

rendering

suggestions

in the W r i t i n g

this report.

REFERENCES I. J. T 6 1 g y e s s y , M. Kyr~, R a d i o a n a l y t i c a l C h e m i s t r y , Vol. 2, E. H o r w o o d , C h i c h e s t e r , 1989, pp. 34-37, 93. 2. Myo Than Swe, (1985). M. Sc. Research, University of Y a n g o n

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