Method for assessing an alpha particle emission potential of A metallic material

摘要

A method for assessing an alpha particle emission potential of a metallic material. A metallic material is initially subjected to a secular equilibrium disruption process, such as melting and/or refining, to disrupt the secular equilibrium of the radioactive decay of one or more target parent isotopes in the material. A sample of the material is treated to diffuse target decay isotopes within the sample such that the measured alpha particle emission directly corresponds to the concentration or number of target decay isotope atoms within the entirety of the sample, enabling the concentration of target decay isotopes in the sample to be determined. The concentration of target parent isotopes in the material may then be determined from the concentration of target decay isotopes and time elapsed from the secular equilibrium disruption process, and may be used to determine a maximum alpha particle emission that the metallic material will exhibit.

主权项

1. A method for assessing an alpha particle emission potential of a metallic material, said method comprising the steps of:
detecting alpha particle emissions from a sample of the metallic material; determining a concentration of a target parent isotope in the sample of the metallic material from the alpha particle emissions detected in said detecting step and a time which has elapsed between said detecting step and a prior secular equilibrium disruption process; and determining a possible alpha emission of a target decay isotope of the target parent isotope from the determined concentration of the target parent isotope and a half-life of the target parent isotope.