Present work shows the development of nuclear technology in Malaysia and highlights its
applications that have been developed by using the instrumental neutron activation analysis
(INAA) method. In addition, present study exhibits a comprehensive review of INAA for
calculation of neutron flux parameters and concentration of elements. The INAA is a
powerful method to analyse the sample which identifies qualitative and quantitative of
elements present in a sample. The INAA is a working instrument with advantages of
experimental simplicity, high accuracy, excellent flexibility with respect to irradiation and
counting conditions, and suitability for computerization. In INAA, sample is irradiated and
measured directly. In practical. INAA is based on an absolute, relative and single-comparator
standardisation method. The INAA has been developed since 1982 when the
TRIGA Mark II reactor of Malaysia has commissioned. The absolute method was less
utilised, the relative method has been used since 1982, and the ko-INAA method is derived
from single-comparator standardization method has been developed since 1996 in Malaysia.
The relative method, because of its advantages, such as high accuracy, easy for using, has
many applications in Malaysia. Currently, local universities and Malaysian Nuclear Agency
(MNA) research reactor use INAA method in Malaysia.
An electronic database has been developed and implemented for ko-INAA method in Malaysia. Databases are often developed according to national requirements. This database contains constant nuclear data for ko-INAA method; Hogdahl-convention and Westcott-formalism as 3 separate command user interfaces. It has been created using Microsoft Access 2007 under a Windows operating system. This database saves time and the quality of results can be assured when the calculation of neutron flux parameters and concentration of elements by ko-INAA method are utilised. An evaluation of the database was conducted by IAEA Soil7 where the results published which showed a high level of consistency.