Journal of Applied Physical Science International

The application of the Cd-lined irradiation channel of the Nigeria Research Reactor-1 (NIRR-1) and implementation of k0-standardization method has been performed on some clay potteries from Tatiko locality, in Niger State-Nigeria. In terms of quality control and assurance of results by the used of the k₀-IAEA installed software, the analysis of the IAEA-SL-1 Lake sediment and the NIST-Coal Fly Ash 1633b were validated. The samples and the Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) were irradiated together with the neutron flux setting of 5.0×10¹¹ n cm^-2 s^-1 for six hours. After waiting periods of one to five days, the gamma-rays (energies) from the activated samples were measured using the vertical dip-stick ORTEC-GEM-30195 HPGe coaxial detector, with resolution (FWHM) at 1.33 MeV, ⁶⁰Co to be 1.85 keV and at 122 keV, ⁵⁷Co to be 0.85 keV. The results obtained using the software agreed well with the certified values of the SRMs. Also, twenty six elements; Al, Mg, Ti, V, Na, K, Dy, Mn, Sc, Co, Rb, Cs, Ba, Eu, Lu, Hf, Ta, Th/Pa, Cr, Fe, As, Br, La, U/Np, Sm and Yb were determined quantitatively using the k₀-IAEA installed software. Among these elements, the concentration in ppm of six rare earth elements (REE) were identified; Dy, Eu, Lu, Yb La and Sm. The overall uncertainties found in the overall analysis of the above mentioned elemental concentrations were generally very low within a statistical value of less than ±2 standard deviation.