Application of thermal analysis in radiocarbon dating

Thermal analysis combined with mass spectrometry was applied to radiocarbon dating procedures (age determination of carbon containing samples) to dete rmine the optimal temperature range for the reduction of CO2 over metallic cobalt of various particle sizes. Experiments were carried out to show the different catalytic activities of cobalt of particle sizes 1, 1-45 and 44 m um. The morphology of the cobalt samples and the deposited carbon were inve stigated. The quantification of CH4 and CO formed during the reduction of C O2 was done by means of pulse thermal analysis.