J. Korkisch

Determination of uranium in natural waters after anion-exchange separation

Abstract A method is described for the determination of uranium by fluorimetry and spectrophotometry in samples of natural non-saline waters. After acidification with hydrochloric acid, the water sample is filtered and, following the addition of ascorbic acid and potassium thiocyanate, passed through a column of the strongly basic anion-exchange resin Dowex 1-X8 (thiocyanate form). On this exchanger uranium is adsorbed as an anionic thiocyanate complex. After removal of iron and other coadsorbed elements by washing first with a mixture consisting of 50 vol.% tetrahydrofuran, 40 vol.% methyl glycol and 10 vol.% 6 M hydrochloric acid, and then with pure aqueous 6 M hydrochloric acid, the uranium is eluted with 1 M hydrochloric acid. In the eluate, uranium is determined fluorimetrically or by means of the spectrophotometric arsenazo III method. The procedure was used for the routine determination of uranium in water samples collected in Austria.

The determination of beryllium in geological and industrial materials by atomic-absorption spectrometry after cation-exchange separation

Abstract A method is described for the determination of beryllium in geological and industrial samples. After dissolution of the sample in mineral acids, beryllium is separated from the matrix elements by chloroform extraction of its acetylacetonate from a solution of pH 7 containing ascorbic acid and EDTA. Beryllium is separated from the organic extract and from co-extracted aluminium by means of a column of the strongly acidic cation-exchanger Dowex 50; beryllium is adsorbed from a medium consisting of 60 % (v/v) tetrahydrofuran, 30 % (v/v) chloroform and 10 % (v/v) methanol containing hydrochloric acid, aluminium is removed with 0.4 M oxalic acid and after elution with 6 M hydrochloric acid, beryllium is determined by atomic-absorption spectrometry with a nitrous oxide-acetylene flame. The method was used to determine p.p.m. and sub-p.p.m. quantities of beryllium in geochemical reference materials, U 3 O 3 and yellow cake samples, and manganese nodules.

Anion-exchange separation of iron, cobalt and nickel

Abstract From 90% acetone-10% 6 M hydrochloric acid medium, cobalt and nickel are strongly adsorbed on the anion-exchange resin Dowex I-X8; iron is not adsorbed and can thus be separated from cobalt and nickel. Cobalt and nickel are then separated by elution with 70% acetone-30% 2 M hydrochloric acid; nickel is eluted before cobalt. The method can be applied to the determination of nickel and cobalt in materials with high iron content such as steels ; compleximetric titrations are used for the final step.

Separation of uranium by anion exchange

Abstract A method for the separation of uranium(VI) from numerous elements by means of anion exchange is described; the negatively charged chloride complex of uranium is adsorbed on the strongly basic anion exchanger Dowex 1 X8 (chloride form) from a solution containing 80% methanol and 20% 6 N hydrochloric acid. The uranium was determined by a polarographic method basud on the catalytic nitrate wave of uranium.

Determination of seven trace elements in natural waters after separation by solvent extraction and anion-exchange chromatography

Abstract A method is described for the determination of cadmium, cobalt, copper, manganese, lead, uranium, and zinc in samples of natural waters. After acidification with hydrochloric acid the water sample is filtered and the diethyldithiocarbamates of the trace elements are isolated by extraction with acetone—chloroform (2:5) at pH 5. Following this preconcentration step the metal ions are adsorbed on a column of the strongly basic anion-exchange resin Dowex 1-X8 (chloride form) using as sorption solution a mixture (5:4:1, v v ) of tetrahydrofuran, methyl glycol and 6 M hydrochloric acid. Successive elution is effected with 6 M hydrochloric acid (Co, Cu, Mn and Pb), 1 M hydrochloric acid (U) and 2 M nitric acid (Cd and Zn); the metal ions in the eluates are determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (except uranium, which is determined fluorimetrically). The procedure was used to determine the trace-metals in water and snow samples collected in Austria and to analyse a sample of sea water from the Adriatic Sea.

Separation of large amounts of iron(III) from cobalt, nickel, and aliminum by combined ion exchange-solvent extraction

Abstract A method is described for the cation-exchange separation of large amounts of iron(III) from cobalt, nickel, and aluminium. On the strongly acidic Dowex 50-X8, iron(III) is not adsorbed from an 80% tetrahydrofuran-20% 3 M hydrochloric acid mixture, while cobalt, nickel, and aluminium are retained; a quantitative separation is thus possible. Cobalt and nickel or aluminium are then separated by elution with 90% tetrahydrofuran-10% 6 M hydrochloric acid. In these mixtures combined ion exchange-solvent extraction appears to occur; both ion exchange and liquid-liquid extraction are. effective simultaneously.

Atomic-absorption determination of vanadium and molybdenum in tap water and mineral waters after anion-exchange separation

Abstract A method is described for the determination of vanadium and molybdenum in samples of tap and bottled mineral water. After acidification with citric acid the water sample is heated to about 80°C to remove CO 2 ; sodium citrate and ascorbic acid are added and the resulting solution of pH 3 is passed through a column of the strongly basic anion-exchange resin Dowex 1-X8 (citrate form) on which both vanadium and molybdenum are adsorbed as anionic citrate complexes. Vanadium is eluted with 6 M hydrochloric acid; molybdenum is recovered with 2 M perchloric acid-1 M hydrochloric acid. Vanadium and molybdenum are determined in the eluates by atomic-absorption spectrometry. The samples analysed contained 0.1–0.9 μg l −1 vanadium and 0.2–13 μg l −1 molybdenum.

Chemical analysis of manganese nodules. Part I. Determination of seven main and trace constituents after anion-exchange separation

Abstract A method is described for the determination of Mn, Cu, Co, Zn, Cd, Pb and U in samples of manganese nodules. After dissolution of the sample in concentrated hydrochloric acid, the elements are adsorbed on a column of the strongly basic anion-exchange resin Dowex 1 from a medium consisting of 50 % (v/v) hexone, 40 % (v/v) isopropanol and 10 % (v/v) 12 M hydrochloric acid. After removal of iron by washing the resin bed with a mixture of the same composition, 6 M hydrochloric acid is passed through the column to elute Mn, Cu, Co, and Pb, and then 1 M hydrochloric acid and 2 M nitric acid to elute Zn, Cd and U. In the eluates the elements are determined by atomic-absorption spectrometry except for uranium which is determined by fluorimetry. The method was used successfully for the determination of mg and p.p.m. quantities of Mn, Cu, Co, Zn, Cd, Pb and U in 17 samples of manganese nodules from the Pacific Ocean.

Separation of rhenium(vii) from molybdenum(vi) and many other elements by anion exchange

Abstract A method is described for the selective separation of μg and mg amounts of rhenium(VII) from molybdenum (VI) and many other metal ions by means of the strongly basic anion-exchange resin Dowex 1-X8. The separation is based on the preferential elution of molybdenum by a 90% (v/v) methanol-10% 6 M nitric acid mixture; rhenium and a few other elements are retained while molybdenum and most other metal ions including Fe(III), Ca, Mg, Mn, U, Cu, V, etc., are practically unadsorbed. After elution of the adsorbed rhenium with 70% (v/v) tetrahydrofuran-30% 9 M hydrochloric acid, the rhenium is determined spectrophotometrically by a modified thiocyanate method.

Determination of cerium in ferrous alloys

Abstract A method for the determination of cerium in ferrous alloys is described. Cerium (with lead and bismuth) is separated from other elements by anion exchange in a medium consisting of 95% methanol and 5% 5 N nitric acid; cerium alone is tlien eluted with 90% methanol-10% 6 N hydrochloric acid and determined in the eluate by titration with EDTA to xylenol orange indicator. Application of the method to several steel samples was successful.