ISSN 1017-2548(Print)
ISSN 2234-8530(Online)
Volume 15, Number 4
JKCSEZ 15(4)
August 20, 1971 

Ruthenium content in highly purified palladium metal (99.9%) was determined by counting 105Rh nuclide which was produced by 104Ru (n, γ;β-) 105Rh nuclear reaction. Palladium sample and ruthenium standard were irradiated by neutron with the Pneumatic Transfer System of TRIGA MARK Ⅱ reactor. Palladium and ruthenium were dissolved by treating with aqua-regia and by fusing with sodium peroxide flux respectively. 105Rh was separated through anion and cation exchange resin columns. The ruthenium content was determined by comparing the 105Rh activities, obtained from the palladium sample, with that from pure ruthenium standard. The detection limit of ruthenium by the present method is about 1 ppm of ruthenium in 10 mg of palladium, which is approximately 40 times more sensitive than that of the conventional radioactivation method which employs 102Ru (n, γ)103Rh nuclear reaction.