Deshmukh reported that analytical chemistry is a branch of science that finds applications in almost all fields of science and technology. The demand for accurate and precise data are ever increasing, particularly in the areas like material sciences, life sciences, environmental studies and industry. Rapid developments in electronics, computers and instrumentation provided the required impetus to meet the demand to decrease the detection limits and resulted in the evolution of software that could decipher and extract reliably the signal from noise.
Most of the analytical techniques are wet chemical based and therefore not free from reagent blank. Chemical dissolution is often difficult for the samples like alloys and ceramics. Besides for the compositional analysis of finished products, a non destructive analytical method is preferred. Nuclear Analytical Techniques (NATs) meet this requirement as NATs are often non-destructive techniques.
George de Hevesy was the first to use radioisotopes as tracers and also discovered neutron-activation analysis and applied it for trace element determination in a variety of samples. Horizons of nuclear analytical techniques (NATs) expanded by leaps and bounds with the availability of nuclear reactors and particle accelerators.
Today Nuclear Analytical Techniques find applications in all the branches of science and technology due to their properties like inherent accuracy, precision and selectivity. Most of the techniques are non-destructive and capable of simultaneous multielement determination. Neutron and proton based techniques in conjunction with high resolution gamma ray spectrometry methods can be used to determine elements from H to U. NATs can also be effectively employed to non-destructively determine trans-uranium elements. Techniques like activation analysis using neutrons (NAA and PGNAA) and protons (CPAA), ion beam analysis (PIXE, PIGE and NRA), X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) analysis are extensively used in various R&D programs as well as for material characterization in nuclear technology. DAE is one of the leaders in developing and deploying nuclear analytical methods like Activation analysis methods using n, p and photon. IBA methods like PIXE, PIGE, RBS and NRA, EDXRF, TXRF, and X-ray spectrometry are in continuous use for characterization of materials that are important to nuclear technology.
Developments in NATs and their applications are expanding at a study pace in DAE, India and various institutes abroad. It is appropriate to pause, review the progress made and evolve strategies to identify areas that find unique applications of radiotracers, radiations and Nuclear Analytical Techniques (NATs). This prompted the organization of Symposia series of Nuclear Analytical Chemistry (NAC). NAC-I to NAC-III were held in Canada. NAC-IV was organized at BARC during November 15-19, 2010 and the current symposium, NAC-V is organized at BARC during January 20-24, 2014.
NAC-V is aimed at reviewing the current status of NATs as well as other related Nuclear Analytical Techniques used for nuclear material analysis. Thus the theme of NAC-V is Analytical Chemistry in Nuclear Science and Technology. Both fundamental and applied aspects of the subject area will be covered in various technical sessions. Topics like utilization of research reactors and accelerators, and applications of NAC to geological, biological, environmental, archaeological, pharmaceutical, industrial, nutritional and nuclear materials, speciation studies, nuclear forensics and safety aspects was covered in this symposium. Success of any symposium depends on the technical content.
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