Lajos Baranyai

Isotope Institute Co. Ltd., KonkoLy Thege Miklos Ut 29-33, Budapest, Hungary

11.1 Introduction

Industrial equipment is typically large, and for this reason, processes taking place in them need testing methods with high sensitivity. This requirement is well satis­fied by radioactive isotopes (radionuclides) because of their extremely high detec­tion sensitivity.

Another feature of industrial processes is that they often take place in closed systems, so taking the direct approach to materials is difficult or impossible. For this reason, testing methods that allow investigation of the processes without open­ing the equipment, disrupting the technological systems, disturbing the processes, and providing qualitative and quantitative information on processes taking place in the “black box” are required.

An important requirement for testing methods applied in industry is rapidity because industrial processes cannot be stopped for long periods. This is partly because it is not allowed technologically and partly because it would cause consid­erable economic loss. At continuous technologies, for instance, a startup needs con­siderable preparations (e. g., heating up the systems). Additional startup can be avoided if the system is tested without stopping the process. However, the removal of the materials for measuring its mass or volume is also impossible due to the large quantities or other hindering effects (e. g., dangerous or toxic materials). The radiotracer technique provides the opportunity to measure large quantities. Besides this, testing methods applying radionuclides often offer noninvasive testing oppor­tunities on the production line itself (“online” testing).