Estimation of particle size distribution in Athabasca oil sands by indirect instrumental neutron activation analysis

Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) was used to predict the relative amounts of various sizes of fine particles in Athabasca oil sands. The method is based on regression analysis of element concentration data for 529 oil sand test portions, determined by INAA, against particle size distributions determined by three currently used methods. The most important elements for the estimation of particle sizes below 44 µm were found to be aluminum, sodium, and manganese. The INAA estimation method works because variation in elemental composition within particle size fractions in oil sands up to at least 44 µm is relatively small, whereas the variation between size fractions is significant. The new method does not involve the use of organic solvents, is faster and simpler to perform than the methods currently in use, and is comparable in precision. It has the added advantages that it can be readily automated, and concentrations of elements of special interest in oil sand processing, such as chlorine, are obtained simultaneously.Key words: instrumental neutron activation analysis, oil sand, particle size distribution.

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Estimation of the fines content of Athabasca oil sands using instrumental neutron activation analysis

Canadian Journal of Chemistry ◽

10.1139/v96-062 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 74 (4) ◽

pp. 583-590 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Kingsley K. Donkor ◽

Byron Kratochvil ◽

M. John M. Duke

Keyword(s):

Neutron Activation Analysis ◽

Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis ◽

Activation Analysis ◽

Neutron Activation ◽

Oil Sands ◽

Oil Sand ◽

Fines Content ◽

Bulk Oil ◽

Mineral Fraction ◽

Instrumental Neutron Activation

Knowledge of the "fines" or clay-rich mineral fraction is necessary for the efficient extraction of bitumen from bulk oil sands, and has environmental implications in tailings disposal. Current methods for estimating the fines in oil sand are laborious and of questionable accuracy. We propose here their estimation directly in bulk oil sand by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) of the trace and major elements determinable. Correlations between fines content and individual elements fall in the range of 0.80 to 0.81 for dysprosium, samarium, and europium, and 0.75 to 0.77 for sodium, potassium, aluminum, and titanium. These results follow the expected geochemical relationships between major and trace elements and the mineral fraction of the oil sands. Principal component analysis (PCA) using a combination of elements gave correlations with fines content no better than those obtained from individual elements. However, the PCA approach can be considered more robust. Advantages of INAA over conventional methods to estimate the fines content of unprocessed oil sand include minimal sample preparation (including elimination of the use of organic solvents), rapid turnaround time, and the potential for automation. Key words: instrumental neutron activation analysis, oil sand, elemental correlations, fines.

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Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) of Cisadane Estuarine Sediments

Jurnal Natur Indonesia ◽

10.31258/jnat.10.1.58-65 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 58

Author(s):

Ali Arman Lubis

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Particle Size ◽

Neutron Activation Analysis ◽

Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis ◽

Activation Analysis ◽

Neutron Activation ◽

Thermal Flux ◽

Estuarine Sediments ◽

Analytical Technique ◽

Instrumental Neutron Activation

Nuclear analytical technique instrumental neutron activation analysis was employed for the multielemental analysis of sediments collected from Cisadane estuary. This analytical technique provides concentration of 20 elementswhich consist of heavy metals and rare earth elements simultaneously. Two sediments cores were collected using core sampler for determining the distribution of all elements in the depth profiles of sediments. Sediment cores were subdivided into 2 cm increment, dried and sent to reactor for irradiation using thermal flux of ?1013 neutrons.cm-2.s-1 for 20 minutes in Research Reactor Siwabessy, National Nuclear Energy Agency (BATAN), Serpong. Irradiated samples were measured using a multichannel analyzer (MCA) gamma spectrometer coupled with high purity germanium detector. Analysis of particle size was done since uptake of heavy metals by sediments is particle-size dependent. The results are presented and discussed.

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Elemental analysis of medicinal plants from different sites by instrumental neutron activation analysis

International Journal of Bioassays ◽

10.21746/ijbio.2016.03.0010 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 5 (03) ◽

pp. 4892 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ratna Raju M.* ◽

Madhusudhana Rao P. V. ◽

Seshi Reddy T. ◽

Raju M. K. ◽

Brahmaji Rao J. S. ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Neutron Activation Analysis ◽

Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis ◽

Activation Analysis ◽

Medicinal Plants ◽

Neutron Activation ◽

Gamma Ray ◽

Elemental Content ◽

Soil Composition ◽

Gamma Ray Spectrometer ◽

Instrumental Neutron Activation

A study was undertaken to evaluate the inorganic elements for humans in two Indian medicinal plants leaves, namely Sphaeranthus indicus, and Cassia fistula by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA). INAA experiment was performed by using 20 kW KAMINI Reactor at Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam. The emitted gamma rays were measured using gamma ray spectrometer. The concentrations of Al, Br, Ca, Fe, K, La, Mg, Mn, Na, Sc, V and Zn were determined in the selected medicinal plants. The medicinal leaves are using in treatment of various important ailments. The elemental content in selected medicinal leaves is various proportions depending on the soil composition, location of plant specimen and the climate in which the plant grows.

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