Determination of elements by nuclear analytical methods.

The working principle of nuclear analytical methods (NAMs) is not influenced by the chemical bond. Consequently, they are independent counterparts to the well-known chemical procedures. NAMs obey fundamental laws or can be described and understood thoroughly. This qualifies them as candidates for reference methods. Although following similar nuclear reaction schemes, they comprise bulk analyzing capability (neutron and photon activation analysis) as well as detection power in surface near regions of solids (ion beam techniques). Prominent features of NAMs are sensitivity, selectivity, multielement determination and linearity of the calibration function covering a concentration range of several orders of magnitude. Moreover, ion beam techniques allow depth profiling with nm-resolution in several cases while the ion microprobe additionally offers a lateral resolution in the micron-scale. As NAMs require expensive apparatus (nuclear reactor, accelerator in radioactive control areas) their availability is restricted to a small number of suitably equipped institutes. However, they are able to solve complex analytical tasks, take part in key comparisons and play an essential role in the certification of reference materials.