The importance of the beta spectrum calculation for accurate activity determination of 63Ni by means of liquid scintillation counting

The activity concentration of a Ni-63 solution was determined by means of two liquid scintillation counting techniques: the TDCR method and the CIEMAT/NIST efficiency tracing technique. The results of both methods are in excellent agreement, provided that the Ni-63 beta spectrum calculation accounts for the atomic exchange effect. Thus, new beta spectrum calculations resolve a discrepancy that has been found in previous analyses. The influence of the computed beta spectrum on the final uncertainty of the activity concentration is discussed. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.