COLD NEUTRON INCOHERENT-SCATTERING FOR HYDROGEN DETECTION IN INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS

Neutron incoherent scattering (NIS) is proposed as a method for the ra pid detection of hydrogen and corrosion in industrial materials. As an example, we apply the NIS method to the detection of hydrogen in grap hite and in titanium alloy, and compare the results with those obtaine d with the prompt gamma activation analysis (PGAA) method, The scatter ing cross section for hydrogen is much greater than the capture cross section, which enables the NIS method to have a detection limit and ac curacy close to that for PGAA, and allows real time experiments on hyd rogen detection to be performed. We report preliminary results on usin g the NIS method to determine hydrogen in urea [CO(NH2)(2)]/graphite a nd in titanium matrices. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics. [S002 1-8979(98)04207-8].