A radioactivation method suitable for the study of mass flow rates through a large scale glass-melting unit

JSGT 1958 V42 T101-T108

Determination of the rate of throughput and an assessment of the degree of mixing occurring in a glass-melting tank furnace have been made using tantalum as a non-radioactive tracer. After addition of a small quantity of tantalum pentoxide to the glass batch the relative amounts of tantalum appearing in the product has been determined by irradiating samples of the glass in a high flux of neutrons followed by measurement of the activity induced in the tantalum present in the glass.

R. S. Barker