Detection of sulfur in soil samples using 2.5 MeV neutron activation

Sulfur concentrations in soil samples containing 4.4–13.47 wt% sulphur were measured in neutron inelastic scattering using dc beams of 2.5 MeV neutrons from a DD neutron generator. The measurements were carried out using 2230 keV prompt gamma rays from sulfur using a CeBr 3 detector. The minimum detectable concentration (MDC) of sulfur was 0.68 ± 0.21 wt%. The present MDC value is about one-fifth of an earlier reported value of 3.50 wt% for 3.2 MeV neutron beams. This study has shown an improvement in the sulfur MDC achieved using 2.5 MeV neutron beam.