ANALYTICAL METHODS FOR ANALYSIS OF NEUTRON CROSSSECTIONS OF AMINO ACIDS AND PROTEINS

Two unpublished analytical processes were developed at IEN-CNEN-RJ for the analysis of neutron cross- sections of chemical compounds and complex molecules, the method of data parceling and grouping (P&G) and the method of data equivalence and similarity (E&S) of cross-sections. The former allows the division of a complex compound or molecule so that the parts can be manipulated to construct a value of neutron cross- section for the compound or the entire molecule. The second method allows by comparison obtain values of neutron cross-sections of specific parts of the compound or molecule, as the amino acid radicals or its parts. The processes were tested for the determination of neutron cross-sections of the 20 human amino acids and a small database was built for future use in the construction of neutron cross-sections of proteins and other components of the human being cells, also in other industrial applications.