Investigation of Fluorine Deposits on Zircaloy Surfaces by Proton Activation

Pickling, sizing, and descaling of Zircaloy with HF leaves firmly bound fluorine on the surface. This deposit can be determined by proton activation utilizing the ¹⁹F(p,αγ)¹⁶O reaction. The method described herein involves comparing gamma-ray yields from the sample and a comparative standard. The errors inherent in comparing targets of different thicknesses of deposit (hence, different effective cross sections) are calculated. As little as 0.01 µg/cm² can be determined. The total thickness can be obtained simply. Some results for nuclear reactor components and test coupons are given.