On a Demining Device Based on the Technique of Neutron Back Scattering in Combination with a Metal Detector

The neutron backscattering (NBS) technique is a well established method to find hydrogen in objects. The NBS technique used in demining takes advantage of the fact that land mines contain much more hydrogen atoms than the dry sand in which they may be buried. An advantage of the NBS method is the high speed of operation. A test site has recently become operational in Delft where a NBS imaging detector can be moved over land mines buried in dry sand at speeds up to 1 m/s. First results indicate that anti-tank mines can be found at depths of 20 cm at a speed of 30 mm/s using a Cf source of 5 × 10 n/s. By applying a stronger source or a neutron generator scan speeds of up to 1 m/s are envisaged. Since the speed of operation of a NBS device compares to that of a metal detector the combination of such devices seems obvious. The choice of construction materials however presents problems.