Non-destructive neutron-activation analysis for determining the chlorine content of paper-pulp

Non-destructive neutron-activation analysis is used for determining chlorine in paper-pulp. Numerical data have been obtained for bleached and unbleached paper-pulps of different types and origins. The sensitivity of this method is 100 ppm for an irradiation time of 30 min and a neutron flux of 6 x 10(10) neutrons.cm(-2).sec(-1) and 10 ppm for an irradiation time of 1 min and a neutron flux of 2 x 10(12) neutrons.cm(-2).sec(-1). In both cases the amount of chlorine that can be determined depends on the presence of the interfering elements manganese and sodium in the paper-pulp. The time required for a complete analysis, after irradiation, is 5 min.