Characterization and excitation behaviour studies of radionuclide (scandium) in glass matrix

Directional movements of bed load in marine sediments are studied using a radioactive tracer, scandium, similar to the natural sediment in the area. Scandium glass prepared for this purpose was analyzed by atomic emission spectrography for quality assurance purposes. A buffer composed of graphite with 5% germanium oxide was used for accurate and reproducible analyses. The role of this buffer in the excitation behavior of scandium and variations in spectral line intensity with respect to various influencing parameters are reported. Volatilization of scandium was observed using the moving plate technique, with a dc-arc as the excitation source.