Material activation can be use to provide real time wear or corrosion measurements. Different methods can be use as direct activation by high energy ions beam (Thin Layer Activation - TLA) or indirect implantation of radio-isotope. This second method, called Ultra Thin Layer Activation (UTLA), use recoil radio-isotopes produced in a thin foil bombarded by an ion beam. Recoil energy of these particles allows implantation on the sample placed behind the foil. Most important UTLA advantage is its application on every type of materials, even if they are sensitive to ion beams (e.g. polymer).

 

 The aim of our research is to develop UTLA method and apply this on polymers used as bio-material. The UTLA setup has been developed this year in the IPNAS laboratory. We implant 56Co using 56Fe(p,n)56Co reaction generate on a 10 μm iron foil whit a 10 MeV proton beam produced by our cyclotron (20 MeV proton Azimuthal Varying Field cyclotron). Implantation was realized on polymers and we have detected sufficient activity for wear measurements. We have then determined angular distribution of 56Co and we use Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry analysis to measure the depth profile implantation. With this technique, we hope to detect loss of material in the sample with nanometer resolution which is an increase precision of a one hundred factor in comparison with current methods.

R. Delhalle*, INSTITUE OF ATOMIC and NUCLEAR PHYSIC and of SPECTROMETRY,University of Liège, Sart Tilman B15, 4000 Liège, Belgium, Belgium
A. Marchal, INSTITUE OF ATOMIC and NUCLEAR PHYSIC and of SPECTROMETRY,University of Liège, Sart Tilman B15, 4000 Liège, Belgium, Belgium
S. Lucas, LABORATORY OF ANALYSES BY NUCLEAR REACTIONS, FUNDP Namur, rue de Bruxelles 61, B-5000 Namur, Belgium, Belgium
E. Breuer, BREUER TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT, Avenue de Norvège 4960 Malmedy, Belgium, Belgium
T. Delvigne, DELTA SERVICES INDUSTRIELS,rue Mont d'Orcq, 7503 Froyennes, Belgium, Belgium
F. Van Dievoet, BfB Oil RESEARCH, rue P. Lejeune, 5032 Les Isnes, Belgium, Belgium
D. Strivay, INSTITUE OF ATOMIC and NUCLEAR PHYSIC and of SPECTROMETRY,University of Liège, Sart Tilman B15, 4000 Liège, Belgium, Belgium

*presenting author