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

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.