Performance and robustness of a multi-user, multi-spectrometer system for INAA

Performance and robustness of a multi-user, multi-spectrometer system for INAA

Bode, P.
Blaauw, M.

Applied Sciences

Radiation, Radionuclides and Reactors

2011-06-01

The laboratory for instrumental neutron activation analysis at the Reactor Institute Delft, Delft University of Technology uses a network of 3 gamma-ray spectrometers with well-type detectors and 2 gamma-ray spectrometers with coaxial detectors, all equipped with modern sample changers, as well as 2 spectrometers with coaxial detectors at the two fast rabbit systems. A wide variety of samples is processed through the system, all at specific optimized (and thus different) analytical protocols, and using different combination of the spectrometer systems. The gamma-ray spectra are analyzed by several qualified operators. The laboratory therefore needs to anticipate on the occurrence of random and systematic inconsistencies in the results (such as bias, non-linearity or wrong assignments due to spectral interferences) resulting from differences in operator performance, selection of analytical protocol and experimental conditions. This has been accomplished by taking advantage of the systematic processing of internal quality control samples such as certified reference materials and blanks in each test run. The data from these internal quality control analyses have been stored in a databank since 1991, and are now used to assess the various method performance indicators as indicators for the method’s robustness.

Neutron activation analysis
Validation
Reference materials
Multi-user system
Accreditation

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:284ddbe1-4021-4e72-90c1-4adcc57f314d

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-011-1178-8

Springer Verlag

0236-5731

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 291(2)2012

Institutional Repository

journal article

(c) 2011 Bode, P.
Blaauw, M.
This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com