Behaviour of phosphorus-32 produced by the 35Cl(n,α)32P reaction in crystals of aluminium trichloride

Abstract

Neutron-irradiated aluminium trichloride crystals have been analysed using a method involving solution in liquid sulphur dioxide in the presence of carrier phosphine and yellow phosphorus. The P^–III and P⁰ fractions usually amountto ca. 80% of the total ³²P, the remamder appearing in an insoluble (liquid SO₂) fraction containing P^I, P^III, and P^V. Thermal annealing and short-term u.v. irradiation increase the proportion of phosphine precursors. But ionizing irradiation leads to increases in the proportion of oxidized forms at the expense of the phosphine and elemental phosphorus fractions.