Extending k₀-NAA beyond (n,γ): quantification of titanium and nickel using (n,p) reactions in advanced alloy

Estimating Titanium (Ti) and Nickel (Ni) in D9 and T91 alloys using Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) via the (n,γ) reaction presents significant challenges due to the short half-lives of their activation products and the intense Compton background arising from the high-yield gamma emissions of 56Mn. This study explores k₀-NAA extension to (n,p) reactions for the estimation of Ti and Ni in advanced alloy. The gamma energy of 159.4 keV from 47Ti(n,p)47Sc and 810.8 keV from 58Ni(n,p)58Co was employed for their quantification. The important kf-factors were determined using the established fast spectrum of the Pneumatic Fast Transfer System (PFTS), KAMINI reactor. Additional parameters, such as the fast-to-epithermal neutron flux ratio, were evaluated using the reference gamma energy of 58Ni(n,p)58Co, along with the h-factor, which accounts for deviations specific to a reaction and irradiation facility. Standardized h-factors were measured, based on standardized kf-factors and a fast flux ratio measured using Ni-58, for Ti-46, Ti-47, Ti-48 and Fe-54. These h-factors allow direct comparison with previously reported literature data for 4 different reactors and many channels with other newly measured values for different reactors and channels.