Research Article Application of Nuclear Analytical...
6
Research Article Application of Nuclear Analytical Techniques in Elemental Characterization of Wadi El-Nakhil Alabaster, Central Eastern Desert, Egypt Zain M. Alamoudi 1 and A. El-Taher 2 1 Physics Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Al Faisaliah, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia 2 Physics Department, College of Science, Al-Azhar University, Assuit 71452, Egypt Correspondence should be addressed to A. El-Taher; [email protected] Received 4 April 2016; Revised 13 June 2016; Accepted 20 June 2016 Academic Editor: Arkady Serikov Copyright © 2016 Z. M. Alamoudi and A. El-Taher. is is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) is a powerful technique for trace element determination in rocks. Nine alabaster samples were collected from Wadi El-Nakhil located at the intersection of lat. 26 ∘ 10 50 N and long. 34 ∘ 03 40 E, central Eastern Desert, Egypt, for investigation by INAA and Energy Depressive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF). e samples were irradiated by thermal neutrons at the TRIGA Mainz research reactor at a neutron flux of 7 × 10 11 n/cm 2 ⋅s. Twenty-two elements were determined, namely, As, Ba, Ca, Co, Cr, Sc, Fe, Hf, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Rb, U, Zn, Zr, Lu, Ce, Sm, La, Yb, and Eu. e chemical analysis of alabaster indicated having high contents of CaO and MgO and LOI and low contents of SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , Na 2 O, K 2 O, MnO, and Fe 2 O 3 . 1. Introduction Neutron activation analysis (NAA) is based on the irradiation of a sample with neutrons from a neutron source like a nuclear reactor and the subsequent measurement of the induced radioactivity. e NAA has become a very capable multielement analysis technique with improved sensitivity. In many cases, more than 30 elements can be determined from a single experiment [1–3]. e technique is highly sensitive and highly specific. e demand for multielement analysis enhanced the need for the standardization of an absolute method. It is not practiced because of the following reasons. It needs nuclear data set such as atomic mass (), isotopic abundance, (n,) capture cross section (), absolute -ray abundance, and absolute neutron flux (Φ). It is well known that measurement of the absolute values of Φ and for a reactor neutron spectrum is difficult [4–6]. e Egyptian alabaster is one of the ornamental stones used by ancient Egyptian for art and decorative purposes. e term Egyptian alabaster is applied to a beautifully banded rock composed of crystalline calcium carbonate. It occurs in several locations in the Eastern Desert near the Nile Valley, at Wadi El Assuity, at Wadi Sannur, opposite Beni Suef and Sohag area and near El-Minya El-Gedida, and East Wadi El Shurafa [7]. Given that, there is no specialized database for elemental analysis of alabaster. In the present work, more light will be shed on the elemental content of alabaster. e obtained result can be used as a reference database to those interested in the elemental content of alabaster and those interested in geochemistry and industry of alabaster and other fields. 2. Geological Setting Wadi El-Nakhil alabaster is located at the intersection of lat. 26 ∘ 10 50 N and long. 34 ∘ 03 40 E, central Eastern Desert, Egypt. e studied alabaster deposits at Wadi El-Nakhil occur in the form of veins of lensoidal shaped bodies along fault plane trending N59W enclosed in the Eocene limestones. e contacts between alabaster and the enclosing limestones are sharp. e extension of the vein reaches up to 100 m and its thickness ranges from 30 cm to 1 m. e alabaster usually displays some xenoliths of limestones up to 30 cm in diameter. El-Nakhil alabaster is hard, compact body with Hindawi Publishing Corporation Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations Volume 2016, Article ID 2892863, 5 pages http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/2892863
Transcript of Research Article Application of Nuclear Analytical...
Research ArticleApplication of Nuclear Analytical Techniques in ElementalCharacterization of Wadi El-Nakhil Alabaster Central EasternDesert Egypt
Zain M Alamoudi1 and A El-Taher2
1Physics Department Faculty of Science King Abdulaziz University Al Faisaliah Jeddah 21589 Saudi Arabia2Physics Department College of Science Al-Azhar University Assuit 71452 Egypt
Correspondence should be addressed to A El-Taher atefeltahergmailcom
Received 4 April 2016 Revised 13 June 2016 Accepted 20 June 2016
Academic Editor Arkady Serikov
Copyright copy 2016 Z M Alamoudi and A El-Taher This is an open access article distributed under the Creative CommonsAttribution License which permits unrestricted use distribution and reproduction in any medium provided the original work isproperly cited
Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) is a powerful technique for trace element determination in rocks Nine alabastersamples were collected from Wadi El-Nakhil located at the intersection of lat 26∘1010158405010158401015840N and long 34∘0310158404010158401015840E central EasternDesert Egypt for investigation by INAA and Energy Depressive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) The samples were irradiated bythermal neutrons at the TRIGAMainz research reactor at a neutron flux of 7 times 1011 ncm2sdots Twenty-two elements were determinednamely As Ba Ca Co Cr Sc Fe Hf K Mg Mn Na Rb U Zn Zr Lu Ce Sm La Yb and Eu The chemical analysis of alabasterindicated having high contents of CaO and MgO and LOI and low contents of SiO
2
Al2
O3
Na2
O K2
O MnO and Fe2
O3
1 Introduction
Neutron activation analysis (NAA) is based on the irradiationof a sample with neutrons from a neutron source like anuclear reactor and the subsequent measurement of theinduced radioactivity The NAA has become a very capablemultielement analysis techniquewith improved sensitivity Inmany cases more than 30 elements can be determined froma single experiment [1ndash3] The technique is highly sensitiveand highly specific The demand for multielement analysisenhanced the need for the standardization of an absolutemethod It is not practiced because of the following reasonsIt needs nuclear data set such as atomic mass (119872) isotopicabundance (n 120574) capture cross section (120590) absolute 120574-rayabundance and absolute neutron flux (Φ) It is well knownthat measurement of the absolute values of Φ and 120590 for areactor neutron spectrum is difficult [4ndash6]
The Egyptian alabaster is one of the ornamental stonesused by ancient Egyptian for art and decorative purposesThe termEgyptian alabaster is applied to a beautifully bandedrock composed of crystalline calcium carbonate It occurs inseveral locations in the Eastern Desert near the Nile Valley
at Wadi El Assuity at Wadi Sannur opposite Beni Suef andSohag area and near El-Minya El-Gedida and East Wadi ElShurafa [7] Given that there is no specialized database forelemental analysis of alabaster In the present work morelight will be shed on the elemental content of alabaster Theobtained result can be used as a reference database to thoseinterested in the elemental content of alabaster and thoseinterested in geochemistry and industry of alabaster andother fields
2 Geological Setting
Wadi El-Nakhil alabaster is located at the intersection of lat26∘1010158405010158401015840N and long 34∘0310158404010158401015840E central Eastern DesertEgyptThe studied alabaster deposits atWadi El-Nakhil occurin the form of veins of lensoidal shaped bodies along faultplane trending N59W enclosed in the Eocene limestonesThe contacts between alabaster and the enclosing limestonesare sharp The extension of the vein reaches up to 100mand its thickness ranges from 30 cm to 1m The alabasterusually displays some xenoliths of limestones up to 30 cmin diameter El-Nakhil alabaster is hard compact body with
Hindawi Publishing CorporationScience and Technology of Nuclear InstallationsVolume 2016 Article ID 2892863 5 pageshttpdxdoiorg10115520162892863
2 Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations
Table 1 Irradiation conditions of elements determined [19]
Irradiation time Decay time Counting time Elements determined1min 5min 4min Mg5min 1 h 15min K Mn Na6 h 2 d 1 h U Sm La As6 h 14 d 8 h Ba Ce Co Cr Sc Eu Fe Hf Lu Rb Yb Zn Zr
banded textures and is characterized by attractive colors andbeautiful shapes The banding is the result of the changein the physicochemical environment of mineralization withtime [8] The banded textures extend laterally and exhibitcolloform and botryoidal textures The thickness of alter-nating bands varies from 02 to 12 cm for the milky whitebands and is commonly in the range of 03 to 28 cm for thetranslucent bands The botryoidal textures usually consist ofspherical aggregates ranging from 1 cm to 12 cm Some bandsare stained reddish brown or black by iron and manganeseoxides [9] Wadi El-Nakhil alabaster deposits occur as hardcompact bodies with banded textures The deposits occurin the form of alternating bands that extend laterally andexhibit colloform and botryoidal textures Banded texture iscommon in this alabaster and occurs in the formof successiveregular bands in contact with the enclosing limestonesThe alabaster has successive milky white and varicoloredtranslucent bands altering with each other Colloform textureoccurs as lining of larger vugs the colloform banding consistsof successive bands with curved surfaces Botryoidal textureis arranged in the form of spherical aggregates Quartz grainsrange in size from fine to medium usually rounded to suban-gular and nonfractured Quartz usually occurs as individualgrains scattered in the carbonate groundmass Calcitizationof the dolomite crystals predominates during the formationof alabaster Lee and Harwood [10] stated that this processtook place under the effect of meteoric conditions Thereplacement of the dolomite by calcite is usually near-surfaceprocess and commonly associated with the dissolution ofsulfide [11] Figure 1 shows location map of Wadi El-NakhilThe full points in the map indicate the sampling sites
3 Experimental Technique
31 Samples Preparation and Irradiation Nine alabaster rocksamples were collected from Wadi El-Nakhil located at theintersection of lat 26∘1010158405010158401015840N and long 34∘0310158404010158401015840E centralEastern Desert Egypt for investigation by instrumentalneutron activation analysis The samples each about 1 kgin weight were dried in an oven at about 105∘C to ensurethat moisture is completely removed The powdered sampleswere sieved using a standard set of sieves to a diameterrange of less than 125 120583m and greater than 63 120583m Eachpowdered sample was homogenized using an electric shaker[12ndash15] 100mg from powder alabaster samples was filled inpolyethylene capsules and then irradiated with a DoleriteWSE and Microgabbro PMS standard reference materialwith a flux of 7 times 1011 ncm2 sdots at the University of MainzTRIGA research reactor The concentrations of the elements
30∘
30∘
32∘
32∘34
∘36
∘
30∘
32∘
34∘
36∘
28∘
26∘
24∘
30∘
28∘
26∘
24∘
22∘
Figure 1 Locationmap of the occurrence of alabaster in the EasternDesert EgyptThe full points in the map indicate the sampling sites
in the irradiated samples were quantitatively determined bycomparison with the activities of the reference materials [16ndash18] After appropriate cooling times the data were collectedfor various measurements [19] Table 1 shows the irradiationconditions for the elements determined
The measuring of activity concentration for radionuclidein studied samples was defined using gamma-ray spectrom-eter system by HPGe detector with its electronic circuit TheHPGe detector was equipped with specifications as followsenergy resolution (FWHM) is 170 keV at 133MeV Co-60peak-to-Compton ratio Co-60 is 652 and relative efficiencyis 292 at 133MeV Co-60 The measurements were analyzedand performed by using the Inter-Gamma Software In allmeasurements the electronic dead time is less than 10and the Inter-Gamma Software performed the correctionautomatically [19 20] Table 1 shows the most appropriateirradiation cooling and measuring time and the elementsdetermined
The chemical analyses of major oxide contents in thisstudy were conducted on a Thermo Scientific QUANTrsquoXEDXRF spectrometer located in the department of physicsall powder samples were dried at a temperature of 105∘Cand stored in desiccators until they were analyzed Fill up34 parts of the cup with the sample analyzed Then coverthe cup with the film Fix the slim ring by sliding it downand fix the thick ring at the top of the cup When the cups
Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations 3
Table 2 The nuclear data and the average concentrations of ele-ments determined in alabaster
Element Activationproduct
EnergykeV 119879
12
Concentrations
Na 24Na 1369 15 h 020Mg 27Mg 1014 95min 547Ca 49Ca 3984 87min 453Mn 56Mn 846 26 h 013Fe 59Fe 1099 445 d 093K 42K 15247 124 h 086Sc ppm 46Sc 1120 388 d 054Cr ppm 51Cr 320 277 d 704Co ppm 60Co 1332 53 y 027Zn ppm 65Zn 11155 244 d 762As ppm 76As 559 263 h 2905Rb ppm 86Rb 1076 186 d 020Zr ppm 95Zr 7567 64 d 28Ba ppm 131Ba 496 118 d 508La ppm 140La 1596 403 h 5037Ce ppm 141Ce 145 325 d 043Eu ppm 152Eu 1408 133 y 004Sm ppm 153Sm 103 463 h 417Yb ppm 169Yb 198 32 d 015Lu ppm 177Lu 2084 161 d 017Hf ppm 181Hf 428 424 d 037U ppm 239Np 106 24 d 23
are prepared place them on the sample stage inside thespectrometer chamber with the side to be analyzed facingdown toward the X-ray tube (QUANTrsquoX Technical ManualThermo Fisher Scientific 2008)
4 Results and Discussion
Table 2 shows the average concentration values of ninealabaster samples in four irradiation cycles Twenty-twoelements were identified The elements determined are NaMg Ca Mn Fe K Sc Cr Co Zn As Rb Zr Ba La Ce EuSm Yb Lu Hf and UThe concentration for all elements wasexpressed in ppm except forNaMg CaMn Fe andKwhichwere given in The concentration of determined elementswas specified by means of multiple activities produced by(n 120574) reactions since some of the radionuclides determinedexhibit more than one obvious and distinct gamma line Inall other situations the elements were measured by theirmost distinctive peaks with lowest statistical error free ofinterferenceThemeasurements accuracy has been estimatedusing the PMS and WSE analysis for the standard referencematerials From the obtained results we can say that INAAis an effective and successful method to supply valuable datafor clay samples with a satisfying precision The accuracy formost elements in present results is in the range of 10 ofthe reference values and a good precision has been shownin most results [21]
The statistical counting errors were
lt2 for Na Mn Sc Co Hf and Sm2ndash5 for Eu La Cr Fe Ce Yb and Lu5ndash10 for Zn As K Mg and Ca10ndash15 for Rb Ba and U
Quantitative analysis was carried out for each isotope bycomparing the activities from the most favorable peaks inthe gamma spectra of samples with those of the standardreference material In this analysis the highest-energy peakswere usually used as in the case of 59Fe 140La and 46Scsince these peaks normally had less interference than lower-energy peaks due to the Compton effect In some cases theuse of low-energy gamma lines permitted the determinationof some elements since these radionuclides have no high-energy peak as in the case of 141Ce and 153Sm Scandium isthemost favorable element to be determined by INAA due tothe 100 abundance of its single stable nuclide and its 100branching ratio of the measured gamma lines at 8894 keVand 11205 keV and its convenient half-life of 838 days [22]
The rare earth elements determined are La Ce Sm EuYb and Lu The selection of photopeaks for the analysis isbriefly discussed below for each element For lanthanum thehigh abundance photopeak of 140La at 1596 keV was usedwhich is free of interference The other peak at 487 keVcannot be used due to interferences from 47Ca 489 keVand 192Ir 488 keV For cerium the photopeak of 141Ce at145 keV was used For samarium the isotope 153Sm is usedAs far as europium is concerned 152Eu has a number ofphotopeaks where the high abundance peaks at 1408 and799 keV are free from interference Both peaks were used forthe determination of this element Another peak at 122 keVcannot be resolved from the 124 keV line of 154Eu Howeverthe combined peaks can be used as these are obtained fromtwo isotopes of the same element and have similar half-livesYtterbium can be determined using the 198 keVpeak of 169YbThe 396 keV peak cannot be resolved from nearby peaksof 152Eu 383 keV and 233Pa 381 keV For lutetium the highabundance peak at 208 keV of 177mLu was used [23ndash25]
The concentration of uranium via 238U in alabaster sam-ples was measured according to the following equation
238U (n 120574) 239U120573
minus
997888rarr239Np 119864120574 = 106 keV (1)
The feature 120574-rays can be detected using 120574-spectroscopy [23]The isotopes 140La 141Ce and 147Nd commonly used in
the activation analysis of the corresponding elements arealso produced by fission of 235U There is a possibility ofinterference of the 320 keV 51Cr line with the 3194 keV 147Ndline but neodymium has not been identified in any of the 120574-ray spectra Scandium was determined from the 889 keV lineintensity which is not interfered with by any of the activationproducts [24ndash26] Table 3 shows interferences due to energyand reactions
The results of chemical analysis of alabaster samples aregiven in Table 4 In the studied alabaster CaO ranges from
4 Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations
Table 3 Interferences due to energy and reactions
Radionuclide 119864120574 keV Reaction interferencesInterfering reaction Interfering contribution 120583g120583g
140La 15962 U(n 120574) 140La 0032141Ce 1455 U(n 120574) 141Ce 0201147Nd 911 U(n 120574) 147Nd 0187
Table 4 Chemical analysis of major oxide contents (wt) of Wadi El-Nakhil alabaster
Oxides 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 AverageCaO 622 5045 6632 6436 6968 696 7075 644 663 649MgO 1222 2156 723 89 323 121 403 88 73 828SiO2
12 006 005 004 004 161 095 142 18 079Fe2
O3
108 135 108 108 124 158 110 107 108 118Na2
O 018 027 022 054 021 018 019 053 023 028K2
O 103 109 104 102 103 103 102 102 103 103P2
O5
001 01 001 004 001 007 001 004 001 003LOI 249 246 256 251 258 2515 248 252 255 252
5045 to 7075 with an average of 649 MgO ranges from121 to 215 with an average of 828 SiO
2content ranges
from04 to 18with an average of 079 Small quartz grainsin the silicified carbonate bands in some alabaster samplesrepresent silica Fe
2O3ranges from 107 to 158 with an
average of 118Na2Ocontents range from018 to 054with
an average of 028 P2O5ranges from 001 to 01 with an
average of 003 LOI (H2O+) ranges from 246 to 255with
an average of 252
5 Conclusion
Twenty-one elements were determined including major andtrace elements in addition to some rare earth elements Thechemical analyses of alabaster reveal the enrichment of CaOand MgO and LOI and the depletion of SiO
2 Al2O3 Na2O
K2O MnO and Fe
2O3 The source of calcium is dissolution
of Eocene limestone due to the action of meteoric water
Competing Interests
The authors declare that they have no competing interests
Acknowledgments
This work was funded by the Deanship of Scientific Research(DSR) King Abdulaziz University Jeddah under Grant no363-651-D1435 The authors therefore acknowledge withthanks DSR technical and financial support
References
[1] D Schlosser D Baacke P Beuge and K-L Kratz ldquoElementalcomposition of sediments from a former silver mine in Frei-bergEast GermanyrdquoApplied Radiation and Isotopes vol 50 no3 pp 609ndash614 1999
[2] N F Soliman N Walley El-Dine L S Ashmawy A Sroor andT El Sayed Mohamed ldquoInvestigation of six geological samplesfrom Wadi Sitra Eastern Desert Egypt Using K
0
neutron acti-vation methodrdquo The International Journal of Applied Radiationand Isotopes vol 5 pp 59ndash71 2009
[3] S M El-Bahi A Sroor and A S Abdel-Haleem ldquoApplicationof neutron activation analysis technique for gold estimation inmines in southern Egyptrdquo Applied Radiation and Isotopes vol50 no 3 pp 627ndash630 1999
[4] M E Montero Cabrera H Herrera Hernandez E HerreraPeraza N RodrıguezMartınez andMC Lopez Reyes ldquoInstru-mental neutron activation analysis of rocks from Cayajabospetroleum orerdquo Applied Radiation and Isotopes vol 52 no 1pp 143ndash146 2000
[5] A Sroor N Abdel-Basset A S Abdel-Haleem and A M Has-san ldquoElemental analysis of twoEgyptian iron ores andproducedindustrial iron samples by neutron activation analysisrdquo AppliedRadiation and Isotopes vol 54 no 3 pp 559ndash562 2001
[6] L C Dinescu and O G Duliu ldquoHeavy metal pollution ofsome Danube Delta lacustrine sediments studied by neutronactivation analysisrdquo Applied Radiation and Isotopes vol 54 no5 pp 853ndash859 2001
[7] M K Akaad and M H El Naggar ldquoPetrography of the Egyp-tian alabaster of wadi Sannurrdquo Bulletin Faculty of Science Alex-andria University vol 6 pp 157ndash167 1964
[8] J R Craig and D J Vaughan Ore Microscopy and Ore Petrog-raphy A Wiley Interscience Publication New York NY USA1981
[9] I A Salem B T El Dosuky G A Aly and A N Ahmed ldquoCon-tribution of the mineralogical and geochemical characteristicsof the Egyptian alabaster fromWadi El Nakhil Central easterndesertrdquo in Proceedings of the 8th International Conference onGeochemistry vol 2 pp 1ndash23 Alexandria University August2008
[10] M R Lee and G M Harwood ldquoDolomite calcitization andcement zonation related to uplift of the Raisby Formation(Zechstein carbonate) Northeast Englandrdquo Sedimentary Geol-ogy vol 65 no 3-4 pp 285ndash305 1989
Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations 5
[11] M E Tucker Sedimentary Petrology vol 260 Blackwell Scien-tific Publications Oxford UK 1991
[12] A El-Taher ldquoRare-earth elements in Egyptian granite by instru-mental neutron activation analysisrdquo Applied Radiation and Iso-topes vol 65 no 4 pp 458ndash464 2007
[13] A El-Taher and M A K Abdelhalim ldquoElemental analysis oflimestone by instrumental neutron activation analysisrdquo Journalof Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry vol 299 no 3 pp1949ndash1953 2014
[14] A El-Taher and M A K Abdelhalim ldquoElemental analysis ofsoils from Toshki by using instrumental neutron activationanalysis techniquesrdquo Journal of Radioanalytical and NuclearChemistry vol 300 no 1 pp 431ndash435 2014
[15] A El-Taher K-L Kratz A Nossair and A H Azzam ldquoDeter-mination of gold in two Egyptian gold ores using instrumentalneutron activation analysisrdquo Radiation Physics and Chemistryvol 68 no 5 pp 751ndash755 2003
[16] A El-Taher A Nossair A M Azzam K-L Kratz and AS Abdel-Halim ldquoDetermination of traces of uranium andthorium in some Egyptian environmental matrices by instru-mental neutron activation analysisrdquo Environment ProtectionEngineering vol 30 no 1-2 pp 19ndash30 2004
[17] H M Mahmoud A G E Abbady M A Khairy A S Abde-halim and A El-Taher ldquoMulti-element determination in sand-stone rock by instrumental neutron activation analysisrdquo Journalof Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry vol 264 no 3 pp715ndash718 2005
[18] A El-Taher and M A M Uosif ldquoThe assessment of theradiation hazard indices due to uranium and thorium in someEgyptian environmental matricesrdquo Journal of Physics D AppliedPhysics vol 39 no 20 pp 4516ndash4521 2006
[19] Kernchemie Report Tables for Neutron Activation Analysis TrigaMainz Research Reactor Nuclear Chemistry Institute MainzGermany 1989
[20] A El-Taher ldquoElemental analysis of two Egyptian phosphaterock mines by instrumental neutron activation analysis andatomic absorption spectrometryrdquo Applied Radiation and Iso-topes vol 68 no 3 pp 511ndash515 2010
[21] A Alharbi and A El-Taher ldquoElemental analysis of quartz byinstrumental neutron activation analysisrdquo Applied Radiationand Isotopes vol 82 pp 67ndash71 2013
[22] A El-Taher ldquoDetermination of chromium and trace elementsin El-Rubshi chromite from Eastern Desert Egypt by neutronactivation analysisrdquo Applied Radiation and Isotopes vol 68 no9 pp 1864ndash1868 2010
[23] L Zhao F-S Zhang and J Zhang ldquoChemical properties ofrare earth elements in typical medical waste incinerator ashesin Chinardquo Journal of Hazardous Materials vol 158 no 2-3 pp465ndash470 2008
[24] Y Suzuki T Suzuki and N Furuta ldquoDetermination of RareEarth Elements (REEs) in Airborne Particulate Matter (APM)collected in Tokyo Japan and a positive anomaly of Europiumand Terbiumrdquo Analytical Sciences vol 26 no 9 pp 929ndash9352010
[25] A El-Taher ldquoRare earth elements content in geological samplesfrom eastern desert Egypt determined by instrumental neu-tron activation analysisrdquoApplied Radiation and Isotopes vol 68no 9 pp 1859ndash1863 2010
[26] A El-Taher ldquoINAA and DNAA for uranium determination ingeological samples from EgyptrdquoApplied Radiation and Isotopesvol 68 no 6 pp 1189ndash1192 2010
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2 Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations
Table 1 Irradiation conditions of elements determined [19]
Irradiation time Decay time Counting time Elements determined1min 5min 4min Mg5min 1 h 15min K Mn Na6 h 2 d 1 h U Sm La As6 h 14 d 8 h Ba Ce Co Cr Sc Eu Fe Hf Lu Rb Yb Zn Zr
banded textures and is characterized by attractive colors andbeautiful shapes The banding is the result of the changein the physicochemical environment of mineralization withtime [8] The banded textures extend laterally and exhibitcolloform and botryoidal textures The thickness of alter-nating bands varies from 02 to 12 cm for the milky whitebands and is commonly in the range of 03 to 28 cm for thetranslucent bands The botryoidal textures usually consist ofspherical aggregates ranging from 1 cm to 12 cm Some bandsare stained reddish brown or black by iron and manganeseoxides [9] Wadi El-Nakhil alabaster deposits occur as hardcompact bodies with banded textures The deposits occurin the form of alternating bands that extend laterally andexhibit colloform and botryoidal textures Banded texture iscommon in this alabaster and occurs in the formof successiveregular bands in contact with the enclosing limestonesThe alabaster has successive milky white and varicoloredtranslucent bands altering with each other Colloform textureoccurs as lining of larger vugs the colloform banding consistsof successive bands with curved surfaces Botryoidal textureis arranged in the form of spherical aggregates Quartz grainsrange in size from fine to medium usually rounded to suban-gular and nonfractured Quartz usually occurs as individualgrains scattered in the carbonate groundmass Calcitizationof the dolomite crystals predominates during the formationof alabaster Lee and Harwood [10] stated that this processtook place under the effect of meteoric conditions Thereplacement of the dolomite by calcite is usually near-surfaceprocess and commonly associated with the dissolution ofsulfide [11] Figure 1 shows location map of Wadi El-NakhilThe full points in the map indicate the sampling sites
3 Experimental Technique
31 Samples Preparation and Irradiation Nine alabaster rocksamples were collected from Wadi El-Nakhil located at theintersection of lat 26∘1010158405010158401015840N and long 34∘0310158404010158401015840E centralEastern Desert Egypt for investigation by instrumentalneutron activation analysis The samples each about 1 kgin weight were dried in an oven at about 105∘C to ensurethat moisture is completely removed The powdered sampleswere sieved using a standard set of sieves to a diameterrange of less than 125 120583m and greater than 63 120583m Eachpowdered sample was homogenized using an electric shaker[12ndash15] 100mg from powder alabaster samples was filled inpolyethylene capsules and then irradiated with a DoleriteWSE and Microgabbro PMS standard reference materialwith a flux of 7 times 1011 ncm2 sdots at the University of MainzTRIGA research reactor The concentrations of the elements
30∘
30∘
32∘
32∘34
∘36
∘
30∘
32∘
34∘
36∘
28∘
26∘
24∘
30∘
28∘
26∘
24∘
22∘
Figure 1 Locationmap of the occurrence of alabaster in the EasternDesert EgyptThe full points in the map indicate the sampling sites
in the irradiated samples were quantitatively determined bycomparison with the activities of the reference materials [16ndash18] After appropriate cooling times the data were collectedfor various measurements [19] Table 1 shows the irradiationconditions for the elements determined
The measuring of activity concentration for radionuclidein studied samples was defined using gamma-ray spectrom-eter system by HPGe detector with its electronic circuit TheHPGe detector was equipped with specifications as followsenergy resolution (FWHM) is 170 keV at 133MeV Co-60peak-to-Compton ratio Co-60 is 652 and relative efficiencyis 292 at 133MeV Co-60 The measurements were analyzedand performed by using the Inter-Gamma Software In allmeasurements the electronic dead time is less than 10and the Inter-Gamma Software performed the correctionautomatically [19 20] Table 1 shows the most appropriateirradiation cooling and measuring time and the elementsdetermined
The chemical analyses of major oxide contents in thisstudy were conducted on a Thermo Scientific QUANTrsquoXEDXRF spectrometer located in the department of physicsall powder samples were dried at a temperature of 105∘Cand stored in desiccators until they were analyzed Fill up34 parts of the cup with the sample analyzed Then coverthe cup with the film Fix the slim ring by sliding it downand fix the thick ring at the top of the cup When the cups
Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations 3
Table 2 The nuclear data and the average concentrations of ele-ments determined in alabaster
Element Activationproduct
EnergykeV 119879
12
Concentrations
Na 24Na 1369 15 h 020Mg 27Mg 1014 95min 547Ca 49Ca 3984 87min 453Mn 56Mn 846 26 h 013Fe 59Fe 1099 445 d 093K 42K 15247 124 h 086Sc ppm 46Sc 1120 388 d 054Cr ppm 51Cr 320 277 d 704Co ppm 60Co 1332 53 y 027Zn ppm 65Zn 11155 244 d 762As ppm 76As 559 263 h 2905Rb ppm 86Rb 1076 186 d 020Zr ppm 95Zr 7567 64 d 28Ba ppm 131Ba 496 118 d 508La ppm 140La 1596 403 h 5037Ce ppm 141Ce 145 325 d 043Eu ppm 152Eu 1408 133 y 004Sm ppm 153Sm 103 463 h 417Yb ppm 169Yb 198 32 d 015Lu ppm 177Lu 2084 161 d 017Hf ppm 181Hf 428 424 d 037U ppm 239Np 106 24 d 23
are prepared place them on the sample stage inside thespectrometer chamber with the side to be analyzed facingdown toward the X-ray tube (QUANTrsquoX Technical ManualThermo Fisher Scientific 2008)
4 Results and Discussion
Table 2 shows the average concentration values of ninealabaster samples in four irradiation cycles Twenty-twoelements were identified The elements determined are NaMg Ca Mn Fe K Sc Cr Co Zn As Rb Zr Ba La Ce EuSm Yb Lu Hf and UThe concentration for all elements wasexpressed in ppm except forNaMg CaMn Fe andKwhichwere given in The concentration of determined elementswas specified by means of multiple activities produced by(n 120574) reactions since some of the radionuclides determinedexhibit more than one obvious and distinct gamma line Inall other situations the elements were measured by theirmost distinctive peaks with lowest statistical error free ofinterferenceThemeasurements accuracy has been estimatedusing the PMS and WSE analysis for the standard referencematerials From the obtained results we can say that INAAis an effective and successful method to supply valuable datafor clay samples with a satisfying precision The accuracy formost elements in present results is in the range of 10 ofthe reference values and a good precision has been shownin most results [21]
The statistical counting errors were
lt2 for Na Mn Sc Co Hf and Sm2ndash5 for Eu La Cr Fe Ce Yb and Lu5ndash10 for Zn As K Mg and Ca10ndash15 for Rb Ba and U
Quantitative analysis was carried out for each isotope bycomparing the activities from the most favorable peaks inthe gamma spectra of samples with those of the standardreference material In this analysis the highest-energy peakswere usually used as in the case of 59Fe 140La and 46Scsince these peaks normally had less interference than lower-energy peaks due to the Compton effect In some cases theuse of low-energy gamma lines permitted the determinationof some elements since these radionuclides have no high-energy peak as in the case of 141Ce and 153Sm Scandium isthemost favorable element to be determined by INAA due tothe 100 abundance of its single stable nuclide and its 100branching ratio of the measured gamma lines at 8894 keVand 11205 keV and its convenient half-life of 838 days [22]
The rare earth elements determined are La Ce Sm EuYb and Lu The selection of photopeaks for the analysis isbriefly discussed below for each element For lanthanum thehigh abundance photopeak of 140La at 1596 keV was usedwhich is free of interference The other peak at 487 keVcannot be used due to interferences from 47Ca 489 keVand 192Ir 488 keV For cerium the photopeak of 141Ce at145 keV was used For samarium the isotope 153Sm is usedAs far as europium is concerned 152Eu has a number ofphotopeaks where the high abundance peaks at 1408 and799 keV are free from interference Both peaks were used forthe determination of this element Another peak at 122 keVcannot be resolved from the 124 keV line of 154Eu Howeverthe combined peaks can be used as these are obtained fromtwo isotopes of the same element and have similar half-livesYtterbium can be determined using the 198 keVpeak of 169YbThe 396 keV peak cannot be resolved from nearby peaksof 152Eu 383 keV and 233Pa 381 keV For lutetium the highabundance peak at 208 keV of 177mLu was used [23ndash25]
The concentration of uranium via 238U in alabaster sam-ples was measured according to the following equation
238U (n 120574) 239U120573
minus
997888rarr239Np 119864120574 = 106 keV (1)
The feature 120574-rays can be detected using 120574-spectroscopy [23]The isotopes 140La 141Ce and 147Nd commonly used in
the activation analysis of the corresponding elements arealso produced by fission of 235U There is a possibility ofinterference of the 320 keV 51Cr line with the 3194 keV 147Ndline but neodymium has not been identified in any of the 120574-ray spectra Scandium was determined from the 889 keV lineintensity which is not interfered with by any of the activationproducts [24ndash26] Table 3 shows interferences due to energyand reactions
The results of chemical analysis of alabaster samples aregiven in Table 4 In the studied alabaster CaO ranges from
4 Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations
Table 3 Interferences due to energy and reactions
Radionuclide 119864120574 keV Reaction interferencesInterfering reaction Interfering contribution 120583g120583g
140La 15962 U(n 120574) 140La 0032141Ce 1455 U(n 120574) 141Ce 0201147Nd 911 U(n 120574) 147Nd 0187
Table 4 Chemical analysis of major oxide contents (wt) of Wadi El-Nakhil alabaster
Oxides 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 AverageCaO 622 5045 6632 6436 6968 696 7075 644 663 649MgO 1222 2156 723 89 323 121 403 88 73 828SiO2
12 006 005 004 004 161 095 142 18 079Fe2
O3
108 135 108 108 124 158 110 107 108 118Na2
O 018 027 022 054 021 018 019 053 023 028K2
O 103 109 104 102 103 103 102 102 103 103P2
O5
001 01 001 004 001 007 001 004 001 003LOI 249 246 256 251 258 2515 248 252 255 252
5045 to 7075 with an average of 649 MgO ranges from121 to 215 with an average of 828 SiO
2content ranges
from04 to 18with an average of 079 Small quartz grainsin the silicified carbonate bands in some alabaster samplesrepresent silica Fe
2O3ranges from 107 to 158 with an
average of 118Na2Ocontents range from018 to 054with
an average of 028 P2O5ranges from 001 to 01 with an
average of 003 LOI (H2O+) ranges from 246 to 255with
an average of 252
5 Conclusion
Twenty-one elements were determined including major andtrace elements in addition to some rare earth elements Thechemical analyses of alabaster reveal the enrichment of CaOand MgO and LOI and the depletion of SiO
2 Al2O3 Na2O
K2O MnO and Fe
2O3 The source of calcium is dissolution
of Eocene limestone due to the action of meteoric water
Competing Interests
The authors declare that they have no competing interests
Acknowledgments
This work was funded by the Deanship of Scientific Research(DSR) King Abdulaziz University Jeddah under Grant no363-651-D1435 The authors therefore acknowledge withthanks DSR technical and financial support
References
[1] D Schlosser D Baacke P Beuge and K-L Kratz ldquoElementalcomposition of sediments from a former silver mine in Frei-bergEast GermanyrdquoApplied Radiation and Isotopes vol 50 no3 pp 609ndash614 1999
[2] N F Soliman N Walley El-Dine L S Ashmawy A Sroor andT El Sayed Mohamed ldquoInvestigation of six geological samplesfrom Wadi Sitra Eastern Desert Egypt Using K
0
neutron acti-vation methodrdquo The International Journal of Applied Radiationand Isotopes vol 5 pp 59ndash71 2009
[3] S M El-Bahi A Sroor and A S Abdel-Haleem ldquoApplicationof neutron activation analysis technique for gold estimation inmines in southern Egyptrdquo Applied Radiation and Isotopes vol50 no 3 pp 627ndash630 1999
[4] M E Montero Cabrera H Herrera Hernandez E HerreraPeraza N RodrıguezMartınez andMC Lopez Reyes ldquoInstru-mental neutron activation analysis of rocks from Cayajabospetroleum orerdquo Applied Radiation and Isotopes vol 52 no 1pp 143ndash146 2000
[5] A Sroor N Abdel-Basset A S Abdel-Haleem and A M Has-san ldquoElemental analysis of twoEgyptian iron ores andproducedindustrial iron samples by neutron activation analysisrdquo AppliedRadiation and Isotopes vol 54 no 3 pp 559ndash562 2001
[6] L C Dinescu and O G Duliu ldquoHeavy metal pollution ofsome Danube Delta lacustrine sediments studied by neutronactivation analysisrdquo Applied Radiation and Isotopes vol 54 no5 pp 853ndash859 2001
[7] M K Akaad and M H El Naggar ldquoPetrography of the Egyp-tian alabaster of wadi Sannurrdquo Bulletin Faculty of Science Alex-andria University vol 6 pp 157ndash167 1964
[8] J R Craig and D J Vaughan Ore Microscopy and Ore Petrog-raphy A Wiley Interscience Publication New York NY USA1981
[9] I A Salem B T El Dosuky G A Aly and A N Ahmed ldquoCon-tribution of the mineralogical and geochemical characteristicsof the Egyptian alabaster fromWadi El Nakhil Central easterndesertrdquo in Proceedings of the 8th International Conference onGeochemistry vol 2 pp 1ndash23 Alexandria University August2008
[10] M R Lee and G M Harwood ldquoDolomite calcitization andcement zonation related to uplift of the Raisby Formation(Zechstein carbonate) Northeast Englandrdquo Sedimentary Geol-ogy vol 65 no 3-4 pp 285ndash305 1989
Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations 5
[11] M E Tucker Sedimentary Petrology vol 260 Blackwell Scien-tific Publications Oxford UK 1991
[12] A El-Taher ldquoRare-earth elements in Egyptian granite by instru-mental neutron activation analysisrdquo Applied Radiation and Iso-topes vol 65 no 4 pp 458ndash464 2007
[13] A El-Taher and M A K Abdelhalim ldquoElemental analysis oflimestone by instrumental neutron activation analysisrdquo Journalof Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry vol 299 no 3 pp1949ndash1953 2014
[14] A El-Taher and M A K Abdelhalim ldquoElemental analysis ofsoils from Toshki by using instrumental neutron activationanalysis techniquesrdquo Journal of Radioanalytical and NuclearChemistry vol 300 no 1 pp 431ndash435 2014
[15] A El-Taher K-L Kratz A Nossair and A H Azzam ldquoDeter-mination of gold in two Egyptian gold ores using instrumentalneutron activation analysisrdquo Radiation Physics and Chemistryvol 68 no 5 pp 751ndash755 2003
[16] A El-Taher A Nossair A M Azzam K-L Kratz and AS Abdel-Halim ldquoDetermination of traces of uranium andthorium in some Egyptian environmental matrices by instru-mental neutron activation analysisrdquo Environment ProtectionEngineering vol 30 no 1-2 pp 19ndash30 2004
[17] H M Mahmoud A G E Abbady M A Khairy A S Abde-halim and A El-Taher ldquoMulti-element determination in sand-stone rock by instrumental neutron activation analysisrdquo Journalof Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry vol 264 no 3 pp715ndash718 2005
[18] A El-Taher and M A M Uosif ldquoThe assessment of theradiation hazard indices due to uranium and thorium in someEgyptian environmental matricesrdquo Journal of Physics D AppliedPhysics vol 39 no 20 pp 4516ndash4521 2006
[19] Kernchemie Report Tables for Neutron Activation Analysis TrigaMainz Research Reactor Nuclear Chemistry Institute MainzGermany 1989
[20] A El-Taher ldquoElemental analysis of two Egyptian phosphaterock mines by instrumental neutron activation analysis andatomic absorption spectrometryrdquo Applied Radiation and Iso-topes vol 68 no 3 pp 511ndash515 2010
[21] A Alharbi and A El-Taher ldquoElemental analysis of quartz byinstrumental neutron activation analysisrdquo Applied Radiationand Isotopes vol 82 pp 67ndash71 2013
[22] A El-Taher ldquoDetermination of chromium and trace elementsin El-Rubshi chromite from Eastern Desert Egypt by neutronactivation analysisrdquo Applied Radiation and Isotopes vol 68 no9 pp 1864ndash1868 2010
[23] L Zhao F-S Zhang and J Zhang ldquoChemical properties ofrare earth elements in typical medical waste incinerator ashesin Chinardquo Journal of Hazardous Materials vol 158 no 2-3 pp465ndash470 2008
[24] Y Suzuki T Suzuki and N Furuta ldquoDetermination of RareEarth Elements (REEs) in Airborne Particulate Matter (APM)collected in Tokyo Japan and a positive anomaly of Europiumand Terbiumrdquo Analytical Sciences vol 26 no 9 pp 929ndash9352010
[25] A El-Taher ldquoRare earth elements content in geological samplesfrom eastern desert Egypt determined by instrumental neu-tron activation analysisrdquoApplied Radiation and Isotopes vol 68no 9 pp 1859ndash1863 2010
[26] A El-Taher ldquoINAA and DNAA for uranium determination ingeological samples from EgyptrdquoApplied Radiation and Isotopesvol 68 no 6 pp 1189ndash1192 2010
TribologyAdvances in
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
International Journal of
AerospaceEngineeringHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
FuelsJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Journal ofPetroleum Engineering
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Industrial EngineeringJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Power ElectronicsHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Advances in
CombustionJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Journal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Renewable Energy
Submit your manuscripts athttpwwwhindawicom
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
StructuresJournal of
International Journal of
RotatingMachinery
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
EnergyJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom
Journal ofEngineeringVolume 2014
Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
International Journal ofPhotoenergy
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Nuclear InstallationsScience and Technology of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Solar EnergyJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Wind EnergyJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Nuclear EnergyInternational Journal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
High Energy PhysicsAdvances in
The Scientific World JournalHindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations 3
Table 2 The nuclear data and the average concentrations of ele-ments determined in alabaster
Element Activationproduct
EnergykeV 119879
12
Concentrations
Na 24Na 1369 15 h 020Mg 27Mg 1014 95min 547Ca 49Ca 3984 87min 453Mn 56Mn 846 26 h 013Fe 59Fe 1099 445 d 093K 42K 15247 124 h 086Sc ppm 46Sc 1120 388 d 054Cr ppm 51Cr 320 277 d 704Co ppm 60Co 1332 53 y 027Zn ppm 65Zn 11155 244 d 762As ppm 76As 559 263 h 2905Rb ppm 86Rb 1076 186 d 020Zr ppm 95Zr 7567 64 d 28Ba ppm 131Ba 496 118 d 508La ppm 140La 1596 403 h 5037Ce ppm 141Ce 145 325 d 043Eu ppm 152Eu 1408 133 y 004Sm ppm 153Sm 103 463 h 417Yb ppm 169Yb 198 32 d 015Lu ppm 177Lu 2084 161 d 017Hf ppm 181Hf 428 424 d 037U ppm 239Np 106 24 d 23
are prepared place them on the sample stage inside thespectrometer chamber with the side to be analyzed facingdown toward the X-ray tube (QUANTrsquoX Technical ManualThermo Fisher Scientific 2008)
4 Results and Discussion
Table 2 shows the average concentration values of ninealabaster samples in four irradiation cycles Twenty-twoelements were identified The elements determined are NaMg Ca Mn Fe K Sc Cr Co Zn As Rb Zr Ba La Ce EuSm Yb Lu Hf and UThe concentration for all elements wasexpressed in ppm except forNaMg CaMn Fe andKwhichwere given in The concentration of determined elementswas specified by means of multiple activities produced by(n 120574) reactions since some of the radionuclides determinedexhibit more than one obvious and distinct gamma line Inall other situations the elements were measured by theirmost distinctive peaks with lowest statistical error free ofinterferenceThemeasurements accuracy has been estimatedusing the PMS and WSE analysis for the standard referencematerials From the obtained results we can say that INAAis an effective and successful method to supply valuable datafor clay samples with a satisfying precision The accuracy formost elements in present results is in the range of 10 ofthe reference values and a good precision has been shownin most results [21]
The statistical counting errors were
lt2 for Na Mn Sc Co Hf and Sm2ndash5 for Eu La Cr Fe Ce Yb and Lu5ndash10 for Zn As K Mg and Ca10ndash15 for Rb Ba and U
Quantitative analysis was carried out for each isotope bycomparing the activities from the most favorable peaks inthe gamma spectra of samples with those of the standardreference material In this analysis the highest-energy peakswere usually used as in the case of 59Fe 140La and 46Scsince these peaks normally had less interference than lower-energy peaks due to the Compton effect In some cases theuse of low-energy gamma lines permitted the determinationof some elements since these radionuclides have no high-energy peak as in the case of 141Ce and 153Sm Scandium isthemost favorable element to be determined by INAA due tothe 100 abundance of its single stable nuclide and its 100branching ratio of the measured gamma lines at 8894 keVand 11205 keV and its convenient half-life of 838 days [22]
The rare earth elements determined are La Ce Sm EuYb and Lu The selection of photopeaks for the analysis isbriefly discussed below for each element For lanthanum thehigh abundance photopeak of 140La at 1596 keV was usedwhich is free of interference The other peak at 487 keVcannot be used due to interferences from 47Ca 489 keVand 192Ir 488 keV For cerium the photopeak of 141Ce at145 keV was used For samarium the isotope 153Sm is usedAs far as europium is concerned 152Eu has a number ofphotopeaks where the high abundance peaks at 1408 and799 keV are free from interference Both peaks were used forthe determination of this element Another peak at 122 keVcannot be resolved from the 124 keV line of 154Eu Howeverthe combined peaks can be used as these are obtained fromtwo isotopes of the same element and have similar half-livesYtterbium can be determined using the 198 keVpeak of 169YbThe 396 keV peak cannot be resolved from nearby peaksof 152Eu 383 keV and 233Pa 381 keV For lutetium the highabundance peak at 208 keV of 177mLu was used [23ndash25]
The concentration of uranium via 238U in alabaster sam-ples was measured according to the following equation
238U (n 120574) 239U120573
minus
997888rarr239Np 119864120574 = 106 keV (1)
The feature 120574-rays can be detected using 120574-spectroscopy [23]The isotopes 140La 141Ce and 147Nd commonly used in
the activation analysis of the corresponding elements arealso produced by fission of 235U There is a possibility ofinterference of the 320 keV 51Cr line with the 3194 keV 147Ndline but neodymium has not been identified in any of the 120574-ray spectra Scandium was determined from the 889 keV lineintensity which is not interfered with by any of the activationproducts [24ndash26] Table 3 shows interferences due to energyand reactions
The results of chemical analysis of alabaster samples aregiven in Table 4 In the studied alabaster CaO ranges from
4 Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations
Table 3 Interferences due to energy and reactions
Radionuclide 119864120574 keV Reaction interferencesInterfering reaction Interfering contribution 120583g120583g
140La 15962 U(n 120574) 140La 0032141Ce 1455 U(n 120574) 141Ce 0201147Nd 911 U(n 120574) 147Nd 0187
Table 4 Chemical analysis of major oxide contents (wt) of Wadi El-Nakhil alabaster
Oxides 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 AverageCaO 622 5045 6632 6436 6968 696 7075 644 663 649MgO 1222 2156 723 89 323 121 403 88 73 828SiO2
12 006 005 004 004 161 095 142 18 079Fe2
O3
108 135 108 108 124 158 110 107 108 118Na2
O 018 027 022 054 021 018 019 053 023 028K2
O 103 109 104 102 103 103 102 102 103 103P2
O5
001 01 001 004 001 007 001 004 001 003LOI 249 246 256 251 258 2515 248 252 255 252
5045 to 7075 with an average of 649 MgO ranges from121 to 215 with an average of 828 SiO
2content ranges
from04 to 18with an average of 079 Small quartz grainsin the silicified carbonate bands in some alabaster samplesrepresent silica Fe
2O3ranges from 107 to 158 with an
average of 118Na2Ocontents range from018 to 054with
an average of 028 P2O5ranges from 001 to 01 with an
average of 003 LOI (H2O+) ranges from 246 to 255with
an average of 252
5 Conclusion
Twenty-one elements were determined including major andtrace elements in addition to some rare earth elements Thechemical analyses of alabaster reveal the enrichment of CaOand MgO and LOI and the depletion of SiO
2 Al2O3 Na2O
K2O MnO and Fe
2O3 The source of calcium is dissolution
of Eocene limestone due to the action of meteoric water
Competing Interests
The authors declare that they have no competing interests
Acknowledgments
This work was funded by the Deanship of Scientific Research(DSR) King Abdulaziz University Jeddah under Grant no363-651-D1435 The authors therefore acknowledge withthanks DSR technical and financial support
References
[1] D Schlosser D Baacke P Beuge and K-L Kratz ldquoElementalcomposition of sediments from a former silver mine in Frei-bergEast GermanyrdquoApplied Radiation and Isotopes vol 50 no3 pp 609ndash614 1999
[2] N F Soliman N Walley El-Dine L S Ashmawy A Sroor andT El Sayed Mohamed ldquoInvestigation of six geological samplesfrom Wadi Sitra Eastern Desert Egypt Using K
0
neutron acti-vation methodrdquo The International Journal of Applied Radiationand Isotopes vol 5 pp 59ndash71 2009
[3] S M El-Bahi A Sroor and A S Abdel-Haleem ldquoApplicationof neutron activation analysis technique for gold estimation inmines in southern Egyptrdquo Applied Radiation and Isotopes vol50 no 3 pp 627ndash630 1999
[4] M E Montero Cabrera H Herrera Hernandez E HerreraPeraza N RodrıguezMartınez andMC Lopez Reyes ldquoInstru-mental neutron activation analysis of rocks from Cayajabospetroleum orerdquo Applied Radiation and Isotopes vol 52 no 1pp 143ndash146 2000
[5] A Sroor N Abdel-Basset A S Abdel-Haleem and A M Has-san ldquoElemental analysis of twoEgyptian iron ores andproducedindustrial iron samples by neutron activation analysisrdquo AppliedRadiation and Isotopes vol 54 no 3 pp 559ndash562 2001
[6] L C Dinescu and O G Duliu ldquoHeavy metal pollution ofsome Danube Delta lacustrine sediments studied by neutronactivation analysisrdquo Applied Radiation and Isotopes vol 54 no5 pp 853ndash859 2001
[7] M K Akaad and M H El Naggar ldquoPetrography of the Egyp-tian alabaster of wadi Sannurrdquo Bulletin Faculty of Science Alex-andria University vol 6 pp 157ndash167 1964
[8] J R Craig and D J Vaughan Ore Microscopy and Ore Petrog-raphy A Wiley Interscience Publication New York NY USA1981
[9] I A Salem B T El Dosuky G A Aly and A N Ahmed ldquoCon-tribution of the mineralogical and geochemical characteristicsof the Egyptian alabaster fromWadi El Nakhil Central easterndesertrdquo in Proceedings of the 8th International Conference onGeochemistry vol 2 pp 1ndash23 Alexandria University August2008
[10] M R Lee and G M Harwood ldquoDolomite calcitization andcement zonation related to uplift of the Raisby Formation(Zechstein carbonate) Northeast Englandrdquo Sedimentary Geol-ogy vol 65 no 3-4 pp 285ndash305 1989
Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations 5
[11] M E Tucker Sedimentary Petrology vol 260 Blackwell Scien-tific Publications Oxford UK 1991
[12] A El-Taher ldquoRare-earth elements in Egyptian granite by instru-mental neutron activation analysisrdquo Applied Radiation and Iso-topes vol 65 no 4 pp 458ndash464 2007
[13] A El-Taher and M A K Abdelhalim ldquoElemental analysis oflimestone by instrumental neutron activation analysisrdquo Journalof Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry vol 299 no 3 pp1949ndash1953 2014
[14] A El-Taher and M A K Abdelhalim ldquoElemental analysis ofsoils from Toshki by using instrumental neutron activationanalysis techniquesrdquo Journal of Radioanalytical and NuclearChemistry vol 300 no 1 pp 431ndash435 2014
[15] A El-Taher K-L Kratz A Nossair and A H Azzam ldquoDeter-mination of gold in two Egyptian gold ores using instrumentalneutron activation analysisrdquo Radiation Physics and Chemistryvol 68 no 5 pp 751ndash755 2003
[16] A El-Taher A Nossair A M Azzam K-L Kratz and AS Abdel-Halim ldquoDetermination of traces of uranium andthorium in some Egyptian environmental matrices by instru-mental neutron activation analysisrdquo Environment ProtectionEngineering vol 30 no 1-2 pp 19ndash30 2004
[17] H M Mahmoud A G E Abbady M A Khairy A S Abde-halim and A El-Taher ldquoMulti-element determination in sand-stone rock by instrumental neutron activation analysisrdquo Journalof Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry vol 264 no 3 pp715ndash718 2005
[18] A El-Taher and M A M Uosif ldquoThe assessment of theradiation hazard indices due to uranium and thorium in someEgyptian environmental matricesrdquo Journal of Physics D AppliedPhysics vol 39 no 20 pp 4516ndash4521 2006
[19] Kernchemie Report Tables for Neutron Activation Analysis TrigaMainz Research Reactor Nuclear Chemistry Institute MainzGermany 1989
[20] A El-Taher ldquoElemental analysis of two Egyptian phosphaterock mines by instrumental neutron activation analysis andatomic absorption spectrometryrdquo Applied Radiation and Iso-topes vol 68 no 3 pp 511ndash515 2010
[21] A Alharbi and A El-Taher ldquoElemental analysis of quartz byinstrumental neutron activation analysisrdquo Applied Radiationand Isotopes vol 82 pp 67ndash71 2013
[22] A El-Taher ldquoDetermination of chromium and trace elementsin El-Rubshi chromite from Eastern Desert Egypt by neutronactivation analysisrdquo Applied Radiation and Isotopes vol 68 no9 pp 1864ndash1868 2010
[23] L Zhao F-S Zhang and J Zhang ldquoChemical properties ofrare earth elements in typical medical waste incinerator ashesin Chinardquo Journal of Hazardous Materials vol 158 no 2-3 pp465ndash470 2008
[24] Y Suzuki T Suzuki and N Furuta ldquoDetermination of RareEarth Elements (REEs) in Airborne Particulate Matter (APM)collected in Tokyo Japan and a positive anomaly of Europiumand Terbiumrdquo Analytical Sciences vol 26 no 9 pp 929ndash9352010
[25] A El-Taher ldquoRare earth elements content in geological samplesfrom eastern desert Egypt determined by instrumental neu-tron activation analysisrdquoApplied Radiation and Isotopes vol 68no 9 pp 1859ndash1863 2010
[26] A El-Taher ldquoINAA and DNAA for uranium determination ingeological samples from EgyptrdquoApplied Radiation and Isotopesvol 68 no 6 pp 1189ndash1192 2010
TribologyAdvances in
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
International Journal of
AerospaceEngineeringHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
FuelsJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Journal ofPetroleum Engineering
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Industrial EngineeringJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Power ElectronicsHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Advances in
CombustionJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Journal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Renewable Energy
Submit your manuscripts athttpwwwhindawicom
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
StructuresJournal of
International Journal of
RotatingMachinery
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
EnergyJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom
Journal ofEngineeringVolume 2014
Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
International Journal ofPhotoenergy
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Nuclear InstallationsScience and Technology of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Solar EnergyJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Wind EnergyJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Nuclear EnergyInternational Journal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
High Energy PhysicsAdvances in
The Scientific World JournalHindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
4 Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations
Table 3 Interferences due to energy and reactions
Radionuclide 119864120574 keV Reaction interferencesInterfering reaction Interfering contribution 120583g120583g
140La 15962 U(n 120574) 140La 0032141Ce 1455 U(n 120574) 141Ce 0201147Nd 911 U(n 120574) 147Nd 0187
Table 4 Chemical analysis of major oxide contents (wt) of Wadi El-Nakhil alabaster
Oxides 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 AverageCaO 622 5045 6632 6436 6968 696 7075 644 663 649MgO 1222 2156 723 89 323 121 403 88 73 828SiO2
12 006 005 004 004 161 095 142 18 079Fe2
O3
108 135 108 108 124 158 110 107 108 118Na2
O 018 027 022 054 021 018 019 053 023 028K2
O 103 109 104 102 103 103 102 102 103 103P2
O5
001 01 001 004 001 007 001 004 001 003LOI 249 246 256 251 258 2515 248 252 255 252
5045 to 7075 with an average of 649 MgO ranges from121 to 215 with an average of 828 SiO
2content ranges
from04 to 18with an average of 079 Small quartz grainsin the silicified carbonate bands in some alabaster samplesrepresent silica Fe
2O3ranges from 107 to 158 with an
average of 118Na2Ocontents range from018 to 054with
an average of 028 P2O5ranges from 001 to 01 with an
average of 003 LOI (H2O+) ranges from 246 to 255with
an average of 252
5 Conclusion
Twenty-one elements were determined including major andtrace elements in addition to some rare earth elements Thechemical analyses of alabaster reveal the enrichment of CaOand MgO and LOI and the depletion of SiO
2 Al2O3 Na2O
K2O MnO and Fe
2O3 The source of calcium is dissolution
of Eocene limestone due to the action of meteoric water
Competing Interests
The authors declare that they have no competing interests
Acknowledgments
This work was funded by the Deanship of Scientific Research(DSR) King Abdulaziz University Jeddah under Grant no363-651-D1435 The authors therefore acknowledge withthanks DSR technical and financial support
References
[1] D Schlosser D Baacke P Beuge and K-L Kratz ldquoElementalcomposition of sediments from a former silver mine in Frei-bergEast GermanyrdquoApplied Radiation and Isotopes vol 50 no3 pp 609ndash614 1999
[2] N F Soliman N Walley El-Dine L S Ashmawy A Sroor andT El Sayed Mohamed ldquoInvestigation of six geological samplesfrom Wadi Sitra Eastern Desert Egypt Using K
0
neutron acti-vation methodrdquo The International Journal of Applied Radiationand Isotopes vol 5 pp 59ndash71 2009
[3] S M El-Bahi A Sroor and A S Abdel-Haleem ldquoApplicationof neutron activation analysis technique for gold estimation inmines in southern Egyptrdquo Applied Radiation and Isotopes vol50 no 3 pp 627ndash630 1999
[4] M E Montero Cabrera H Herrera Hernandez E HerreraPeraza N RodrıguezMartınez andMC Lopez Reyes ldquoInstru-mental neutron activation analysis of rocks from Cayajabospetroleum orerdquo Applied Radiation and Isotopes vol 52 no 1pp 143ndash146 2000
[5] A Sroor N Abdel-Basset A S Abdel-Haleem and A M Has-san ldquoElemental analysis of twoEgyptian iron ores andproducedindustrial iron samples by neutron activation analysisrdquo AppliedRadiation and Isotopes vol 54 no 3 pp 559ndash562 2001
[6] L C Dinescu and O G Duliu ldquoHeavy metal pollution ofsome Danube Delta lacustrine sediments studied by neutronactivation analysisrdquo Applied Radiation and Isotopes vol 54 no5 pp 853ndash859 2001
[7] M K Akaad and M H El Naggar ldquoPetrography of the Egyp-tian alabaster of wadi Sannurrdquo Bulletin Faculty of Science Alex-andria University vol 6 pp 157ndash167 1964
[8] J R Craig and D J Vaughan Ore Microscopy and Ore Petrog-raphy A Wiley Interscience Publication New York NY USA1981
[9] I A Salem B T El Dosuky G A Aly and A N Ahmed ldquoCon-tribution of the mineralogical and geochemical characteristicsof the Egyptian alabaster fromWadi El Nakhil Central easterndesertrdquo in Proceedings of the 8th International Conference onGeochemistry vol 2 pp 1ndash23 Alexandria University August2008
[10] M R Lee and G M Harwood ldquoDolomite calcitization andcement zonation related to uplift of the Raisby Formation(Zechstein carbonate) Northeast Englandrdquo Sedimentary Geol-ogy vol 65 no 3-4 pp 285ndash305 1989
Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations 5
[11] M E Tucker Sedimentary Petrology vol 260 Blackwell Scien-tific Publications Oxford UK 1991
[12] A El-Taher ldquoRare-earth elements in Egyptian granite by instru-mental neutron activation analysisrdquo Applied Radiation and Iso-topes vol 65 no 4 pp 458ndash464 2007
[13] A El-Taher and M A K Abdelhalim ldquoElemental analysis oflimestone by instrumental neutron activation analysisrdquo Journalof Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry vol 299 no 3 pp1949ndash1953 2014
[14] A El-Taher and M A K Abdelhalim ldquoElemental analysis ofsoils from Toshki by using instrumental neutron activationanalysis techniquesrdquo Journal of Radioanalytical and NuclearChemistry vol 300 no 1 pp 431ndash435 2014
[15] A El-Taher K-L Kratz A Nossair and A H Azzam ldquoDeter-mination of gold in two Egyptian gold ores using instrumentalneutron activation analysisrdquo Radiation Physics and Chemistryvol 68 no 5 pp 751ndash755 2003
[16] A El-Taher A Nossair A M Azzam K-L Kratz and AS Abdel-Halim ldquoDetermination of traces of uranium andthorium in some Egyptian environmental matrices by instru-mental neutron activation analysisrdquo Environment ProtectionEngineering vol 30 no 1-2 pp 19ndash30 2004
[17] H M Mahmoud A G E Abbady M A Khairy A S Abde-halim and A El-Taher ldquoMulti-element determination in sand-stone rock by instrumental neutron activation analysisrdquo Journalof Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry vol 264 no 3 pp715ndash718 2005
[18] A El-Taher and M A M Uosif ldquoThe assessment of theradiation hazard indices due to uranium and thorium in someEgyptian environmental matricesrdquo Journal of Physics D AppliedPhysics vol 39 no 20 pp 4516ndash4521 2006
[19] Kernchemie Report Tables for Neutron Activation Analysis TrigaMainz Research Reactor Nuclear Chemistry Institute MainzGermany 1989
[20] A El-Taher ldquoElemental analysis of two Egyptian phosphaterock mines by instrumental neutron activation analysis andatomic absorption spectrometryrdquo Applied Radiation and Iso-topes vol 68 no 3 pp 511ndash515 2010
[21] A Alharbi and A El-Taher ldquoElemental analysis of quartz byinstrumental neutron activation analysisrdquo Applied Radiationand Isotopes vol 82 pp 67ndash71 2013
[22] A El-Taher ldquoDetermination of chromium and trace elementsin El-Rubshi chromite from Eastern Desert Egypt by neutronactivation analysisrdquo Applied Radiation and Isotopes vol 68 no9 pp 1864ndash1868 2010
[23] L Zhao F-S Zhang and J Zhang ldquoChemical properties ofrare earth elements in typical medical waste incinerator ashesin Chinardquo Journal of Hazardous Materials vol 158 no 2-3 pp465ndash470 2008
[24] Y Suzuki T Suzuki and N Furuta ldquoDetermination of RareEarth Elements (REEs) in Airborne Particulate Matter (APM)collected in Tokyo Japan and a positive anomaly of Europiumand Terbiumrdquo Analytical Sciences vol 26 no 9 pp 929ndash9352010
[25] A El-Taher ldquoRare earth elements content in geological samplesfrom eastern desert Egypt determined by instrumental neu-tron activation analysisrdquoApplied Radiation and Isotopes vol 68no 9 pp 1859ndash1863 2010
[26] A El-Taher ldquoINAA and DNAA for uranium determination ingeological samples from EgyptrdquoApplied Radiation and Isotopesvol 68 no 6 pp 1189ndash1192 2010
TribologyAdvances in
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
International Journal of
AerospaceEngineeringHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
FuelsJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Journal ofPetroleum Engineering
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Industrial EngineeringJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Power ElectronicsHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Advances in
CombustionJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Journal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Renewable Energy
Submit your manuscripts athttpwwwhindawicom
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
StructuresJournal of
International Journal of
RotatingMachinery
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
EnergyJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom
Journal ofEngineeringVolume 2014
Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
International Journal ofPhotoenergy
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Nuclear InstallationsScience and Technology of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Solar EnergyJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Wind EnergyJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Nuclear EnergyInternational Journal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
High Energy PhysicsAdvances in
The Scientific World JournalHindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations 5
[11] M E Tucker Sedimentary Petrology vol 260 Blackwell Scien-tific Publications Oxford UK 1991
[12] A El-Taher ldquoRare-earth elements in Egyptian granite by instru-mental neutron activation analysisrdquo Applied Radiation and Iso-topes vol 65 no 4 pp 458ndash464 2007
[13] A El-Taher and M A K Abdelhalim ldquoElemental analysis oflimestone by instrumental neutron activation analysisrdquo Journalof Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry vol 299 no 3 pp1949ndash1953 2014
[14] A El-Taher and M A K Abdelhalim ldquoElemental analysis ofsoils from Toshki by using instrumental neutron activationanalysis techniquesrdquo Journal of Radioanalytical and NuclearChemistry vol 300 no 1 pp 431ndash435 2014
[15] A El-Taher K-L Kratz A Nossair and A H Azzam ldquoDeter-mination of gold in two Egyptian gold ores using instrumentalneutron activation analysisrdquo Radiation Physics and Chemistryvol 68 no 5 pp 751ndash755 2003
[16] A El-Taher A Nossair A M Azzam K-L Kratz and AS Abdel-Halim ldquoDetermination of traces of uranium andthorium in some Egyptian environmental matrices by instru-mental neutron activation analysisrdquo Environment ProtectionEngineering vol 30 no 1-2 pp 19ndash30 2004
[17] H M Mahmoud A G E Abbady M A Khairy A S Abde-halim and A El-Taher ldquoMulti-element determination in sand-stone rock by instrumental neutron activation analysisrdquo Journalof Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry vol 264 no 3 pp715ndash718 2005
[18] A El-Taher and M A M Uosif ldquoThe assessment of theradiation hazard indices due to uranium and thorium in someEgyptian environmental matricesrdquo Journal of Physics D AppliedPhysics vol 39 no 20 pp 4516ndash4521 2006
[19] Kernchemie Report Tables for Neutron Activation Analysis TrigaMainz Research Reactor Nuclear Chemistry Institute MainzGermany 1989
[20] A El-Taher ldquoElemental analysis of two Egyptian phosphaterock mines by instrumental neutron activation analysis andatomic absorption spectrometryrdquo Applied Radiation and Iso-topes vol 68 no 3 pp 511ndash515 2010
[21] A Alharbi and A El-Taher ldquoElemental analysis of quartz byinstrumental neutron activation analysisrdquo Applied Radiationand Isotopes vol 82 pp 67ndash71 2013
[22] A El-Taher ldquoDetermination of chromium and trace elementsin El-Rubshi chromite from Eastern Desert Egypt by neutronactivation analysisrdquo Applied Radiation and Isotopes vol 68 no9 pp 1864ndash1868 2010
[23] L Zhao F-S Zhang and J Zhang ldquoChemical properties ofrare earth elements in typical medical waste incinerator ashesin Chinardquo Journal of Hazardous Materials vol 158 no 2-3 pp465ndash470 2008
[24] Y Suzuki T Suzuki and N Furuta ldquoDetermination of RareEarth Elements (REEs) in Airborne Particulate Matter (APM)collected in Tokyo Japan and a positive anomaly of Europiumand Terbiumrdquo Analytical Sciences vol 26 no 9 pp 929ndash9352010
[25] A El-Taher ldquoRare earth elements content in geological samplesfrom eastern desert Egypt determined by instrumental neu-tron activation analysisrdquoApplied Radiation and Isotopes vol 68no 9 pp 1859ndash1863 2010
[26] A El-Taher ldquoINAA and DNAA for uranium determination ingeological samples from EgyptrdquoApplied Radiation and Isotopesvol 68 no 6 pp 1189ndash1192 2010
TribologyAdvances in
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
International Journal of
AerospaceEngineeringHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
FuelsJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Journal ofPetroleum Engineering
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Industrial EngineeringJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Power ElectronicsHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Advances in
CombustionJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Journal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Renewable Energy
Submit your manuscripts athttpwwwhindawicom
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
StructuresJournal of
International Journal of
RotatingMachinery
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
EnergyJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom
Journal ofEngineeringVolume 2014
Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
International Journal ofPhotoenergy
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Nuclear InstallationsScience and Technology of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Solar EnergyJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Wind EnergyJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Nuclear EnergyInternational Journal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
High Energy PhysicsAdvances in
The Scientific World JournalHindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
TribologyAdvances in
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
International Journal of
AerospaceEngineeringHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
FuelsJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Journal ofPetroleum Engineering
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Industrial EngineeringJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Power ElectronicsHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Advances in
CombustionJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Journal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Renewable Energy
Submit your manuscripts athttpwwwhindawicom
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
StructuresJournal of
International Journal of
RotatingMachinery
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
EnergyJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom
Journal ofEngineeringVolume 2014
Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
International Journal ofPhotoenergy
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Nuclear InstallationsScience and Technology of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Solar EnergyJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Wind EnergyJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
Nuclear EnergyInternational Journal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
High Energy PhysicsAdvances in
The Scientific World JournalHindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014
