**4. Organization and scientific achievements**

#### **4.1. ICAA, k0 -ISC, and scientific events**

The objectives of the International Committee on Activation analysis of ICAA are to improve and promote the application of nuclear methods of chemical analysis. The International Committee on Activation Analysis (ICAA) is organized exclusively for scientific and educational purposes, and specifically to coordinate the series of international conferences entitled Modern Trends in Activation Analysis (MTAA). The official ICAA website (http://www.icaamtaa.org) provides information on their activities, membership, etc. [10].

**Figure 1.** Detection sensitivities.

The k<sup>0</sup> -International Scientific Committee was originally mainly involved in the organization of the k<sup>0</sup> -Workshops and the accepting and reviewing of the papers presented there. The mandate of the k<sup>0</sup> -ISC is to promote the development and application of the k<sup>0</sup> -method of neutron activation analysis, k<sup>0</sup> -NAA. Examples of the k<sup>0</sup> -ISC's promotion of the development and application of the k<sup>0</sup> method include the coordination of the k<sup>0</sup> -Workshops, maintenance and improvement of the recommended k<sup>0</sup> -Nuclear Database, through the k<sup>0</sup> -Nuclear Data Subcommittee, and the maintenance of the k<sup>0</sup> website to give information and to allow k<sup>0</sup> users to contact members of the k<sup>0</sup> -ISC.

*George de Hevesy* (1885–1966) received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1943 for his work on the use of isotopes as tracers in the study of chemical processes. The Hevesy Medal as illustrated in **Figure 2** is the premier international award of excellence honoring outstanding achievements in radioanalytical and nuclear chemistry as illustrated. **Table 1** presents the list of the laureates of George de Hevesy award during the period 1968–2018 [10].

#### **4.2. International k0 -Users Workshops**

**3. Properties**

**4.1. ICAA, k0**

**Figure 1.** Detection sensitivities.

non-destructive analyses can be performed.

**4. Organization and scientific achievements**

4 Advanced Technologies and Applications of Neutron Activation Analysis

**-ISC, and scientific events**

The analytical techniques based on neutron activation are classified according to energy of incoming neutrons, elastic and inelastic neutron scattering, and neutron capture reactions as well as its combination such as thermal NAA (TNAA), epithermal NAA (ENAA), prompt gamma NAA (PGNAA), fast NAA (FNAA), and 14-MeV INAA a form of FNAA based on reactions with 14-MeV neutrons that are produced by neutron generators. These techniques have big application potential since they could provide data about large number of elements simultaneously. **Figure 1** presents more than 65 elements that may be analyzed using neutron activation analysis method. For most elements, NAA is an extremely sensitive method for analysis. The potential benefits of NAA include the multielement capability and the fact that

The objectives of the International Committee on Activation analysis of ICAA are to improve and promote the application of nuclear methods of chemical analysis. The International Committee on Activation Analysis (ICAA) is organized exclusively for scientific and educational purposes, and specifically to coordinate the series of international conferences entitled Modern Trends in Activation Analysis (MTAA). The official ICAA website (http://www.icaa-

mtaa.org) provides information on their activities, membership, etc. [10].

The development of k0-NAA method is one of the most remarkable advances in the history of neutron activation analysis (**Table 2**). The k<sup>0</sup> -NAA method includes comprehensive and accurate models of the neutron activation, radionuclide decay, and gamma-ray detection processes. During the period 1970–1980, Prof F. De Corte (University of Gent, Belgium) and Dr. A. Simonits (KFKI-AEKI, Budapest, Hungary) and many co-workers developed the concepts and procedures of the k<sup>0</sup> -NAA method [4, 11–18]. Currently, this method is an inactive use in numerous laboratories all over the world [19–29]. The official k<sup>0</sup> -ISC website (http:// www.kayzero.com/k<sup>0</sup> naa/k<sup>0</sup> naaorg/k<sup>0</sup> -ISC.html) contains relevant information on the k<sup>0</sup> method and all associated events and database [24].

**Figure 2.** *George de Hevesy* (1885–1966) who received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1943.


**Table 1.** List of the laureates of George de Hevesy award 1968–2018 [10].

#### **4.3. Nuclear data**

The authors F. De Corte and A. Simonits published in 2003, the recommended nuclear data for use in the k<sup>0</sup> -standardization of neutron activation analysis [3]. In 2010, De Corte described in his paper "Towards an international authoritative system for coordination and management of a unique recommended k<sup>0</sup> -NAA database" the constitution of the nuclear data library [25]. As indicated in the paper, "the 2012 recommended k<sup>0</sup> database", R. Javimovic et al. established the k<sup>0</sup> database in the form of an accessible excel file freely downloadable at http:// www.kayzero.com/k0naa/News/News.html [26].

**5. Innovation in NAA applications**

23–28 August 2015

Interesting paper published by P. Bode, the opportunities for innovation in NAA gives an overview by focused position-sensitive detection of elements in large samples, Monte-Carlo calculations replacing the use of standards, use of scintillator detectors, and new deconvolution techniques for increasing the sensitivity are examples of challenging new roads in NAA [30]. Menezes et al. reported in the paper "Advances in neutron activation analysis of large objects LSNAA with emphasis on archaeological examples", the recent developments and perspectives about the implementation of LSNAA and analyzing several kinds of matrices such as archeology, geology, and art objects [31]. During 2010–2015 period, the proficiency Tests and Inter-laboratory Comparisons have been carried out at the international level, by many NAA

**Title Date Organizer References**

Texas A&M College

MTAA-03 06–10 June 1968 National Bureau of Standards NBS Spec Pub 312, June 1969,

Institute of Radiochemistry, Technical University Munich, Germany

MTAA-06 12 December 1981 University of Toronto, Canada J. Radioanal. Chem., v. 69–72

MTAA-11 20–24 June 2004 University of Surrey, Guildford, UK J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., v.

Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji,

Analysis Texas ASM University, College

Delft University of Technology, Delft, The

**Table 2.** List of the past international conferences on modern trends in activation analysis, MTAA (1961–2015) [10].

MTAA-08 30 December 1991 Technical University, Vienna, Austria J. Radioanal. Chem., v.

Technology (NIST)

Tokyo, Japan

Station, TX, USA

Netherlands

MTAA-13 13–18 March 2011 Center for Chemical Characterization and

2 vols

112–114

167–169

215–217 (1997)

244–245 (2000)

271, No. 1–4 (2007)

J. Radioanal. Chem., v. 37–39

J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., v.

J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., v. 278, Issue 3, December 2008

J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., v. 291, Issue 2, February 2012

J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., v. 309, Issue 1, July 2016

J. Radioanal. Chem., v.

Overview of Neutron Activation Analysis http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.85461 7

CNRS, Saclay, France JRC v15–16, 1973 (also 17–19)

Seoul, Korea J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., v.

MTAA-01 14–15 December 1961

MTAA-04 01–05 October 1972

MTAA-05 13–17 September 1976

MTAA-09 24–28 September 1995

MTAA-12 15–20 September 2007

MTAA-14 and NAMLS-11

MTAA-02 18–21 April 1965 Texas A&M College

MTAA-07 23–27 June 1986 Risø National Laboratory, Copenhagen, Denmark

MTAA-10 18–22 April 1999 National Institute of Standards and

#### **4.4. Neutron activation systems**

Database from the IAEA's Research Reactor Database (RRDB) provides information with respect to the status of the world's research reactors. More than half of the 241 operational RRs worldwide performing neutron activation analysis distributed over 59 member states [31]. The highest roles of NAA have been identified as the most suitable opportunity for research, education and training, and commercialization of RR services. For that, NAA groups focused their efforts on the development and modernization of neutron activation analysis process including irradiation devices, gamma-ray spectrometers, and data analyzing instruments [31–35].


**Table 2.** List of the past international conferences on modern trends in activation analysis, MTAA (1961–2015) [10].
