APPLICATION OF k0 -INSTRUMENTAL NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS FOR DETERMINATION OF MAJOR AND TRACE ELEMENTS IN SOME MANGANESE MINERALS
Abstract
The content of major, minor and various trace elements in three manganese minerals from the Republic of Macedonia was determined. The studied minerals belong to the carbonate group [kutnohorite, Ca(Mn2+, Mg,Fe2+)(CO3)2, from Sasa mine] and to the inosilicate subgroup [carpholite, Mn2+Al2Si2O6(OH)4, from Vrbsko locality; rhodonite (Mn2+,Fe2+,Mg,Ca)SiO3, from Sasa mine]. Carousel facility of the 250 kW TRIGA reactor and multielement technique k0-instrumental neutron activation analysis (k0-INAA) were used for irradiation and for the determination of the elements content. Using intermediate/medium and long half-life radionuclides, in total, thirtyeight elements in the investigated minerals were determined. The content of As, Co, Ga, K, Na, Sc and Zn in carpholite, of As, K, Na, Ta, W and Zn in rhodonite and of Hg, Sr, Ta and REEs in kutnohorite was found to be higher compared to the other investigated trace elements. It was also found that kutnohorite contains lower amounts of trace elements compared with their content in carpholite and rhodonite.
Key words: carpholite; rhodonite; kutnohorite; Macedonia; k0-INAA