The effect of heterogeneity in gamma-ray albedo analysis of mineral raw materials

The influence of heterogeneity on the results of a gamma-ray albedo analysis of heterogeneous raw materials has been considered. The heterogeneity error components, caused by dispersing the defined element in the bulk under study and by the direct influence of the particles dimension (grain size) on the intensity of the scattered gamma-rays, have been determined. Mathematical models to describe the dependence of the error on the chemical composition of the raw material under study, the component densities, the particles dimensions and the primary gamma-radiation energy have been suggested.