Simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of thorium and rare earth metals with pyrimidine azo dyes and cetylpyridinium chloride

Thorium and rare earth elements (REE) react with 5-(2',4'-dimethylphenylazo)6-hydroxypyrimidine-2,4-dione (I) and 5-(4'-nitro-2',6'-dichlorophenylazo)6-hydroxypyrimidine-2,4-dione (II) in the absence of cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) to form red complexes. The molar absorptivity and Sandell sensitivity were calculated in absence of CPC. In its presence, REE - complexes are not formed due to miceller masking, whereas Th(4+) has a sensitive reaction with the studied reagents I and II, with enhancement of the color intensity of the complex. Most of the foreign ions are tolerated in considerable amounts; 150-2400-fold amounts of rare earth do not interfere with the determination of thorium. The optimum experimental conditions of the complex formation reactions and the compositions of thorium complexes are described. A simple method is proposed for simultaneous determination of thorium and rare earth element without previous separation.     

Separation and spectrophotometric determination of thorium contained in uranium concentrate

A method for the determination of thorium in uranium concentrate by spectrophotometry with Arsenazo III has been developed. Preliminary solvent extraction procedures were used to eliminate interfering species. Samples were dissolved in nitric, perchloric and sulfuric acid and the uranium extracted from the solution using tri-octylamine. The aqueous layer was evaporated to dryness and the residue re-dissolved with hydrochloric acid, thorium was extracted by tri-n-octyl phosphine oxide and stripped with oxalic acid. For a typical uranium concentrate produced from the phosphate rock of Itataia, Brazil, concentrations of thorium as low as 5 g·g^-1 can be determined.     

Multiwavelength spectrophotometric determination of acidity constants of some azo dyes

A multiwavelength spectrophotometric titration method was applied to study the acidity constants of some azo dyes in water. The UV-vis absorption spectra of azo dye solutions were recorded in the course of their pH-metric titration with a standard base solution. The protolytic equilibrium constants, spectral profiles, concentration diagrams and also the number of components have been calculated. The quantitative effects of the substituents on the acidity of the studied azo dyes were investigated by the linear free energy relationship (LFER) using Hammet sigma constant (sigma) and field and resonance effects of Kamlet and Taft (f and Re, respectively).     

Simultaneous derivative spectrophotometric determination of thorium and uranium in a micellar medium

Derivative photometric methods for trace analysis of Th(IV) and UO₂(II), and their simultaneous determination in mixtures using 5,8-dihydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone in a micellar medium are reported. Molar absorptivity and Sandell's sensitivity of 1:2 Th(IV) and 1:1 UO₂(II) complexes at their λ_max, 614.5 nm and 637.0 nm are, 1.19 × 10⁴ 1/mol/cm and 1.12 × 10⁴ 1/mol/cm and 1.95 × 10⁻² μg/cm² and 2.13 × 10⁻² μg/cm² μg/cm², respectively. Calibration graph is linear over the range 9.28 × 10⁻²−18.56 μg/ml of Th(IV) and 9.52 × 10⁻²−19.04 μg/ml of UO₂(II). Though presence of Th(IV) and UO₂(II) causes interference in each others determination, 9.28 × 10⁻¹−9.28 μg/ml Th(IV) and 9.52 × 10⁻¹−9.52 μg/ml UO₂(II) when present together, can be simultaneously determined using derivative spectra.     

Simultaneous determination of uranium and thorium in high grade thorium ores

A routine procedure has been developed for the simultaneous determination of uranium and thorium in high concentration thorium ores. INAA is used to determine the uranium and thorium concentration. However, for very low concentrations of uranium a radiochemical procedure based on the use of NPy/benzene as an extractant has to be employed. The precision and accuracy of the method has been determined by analyzing IAEA and NBL standard thorium/uranium ores.     

Simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of uranium and thorium by flow injection analysis using selective masking.

A flow injection system for the simultaneous determination of uranium and thorium has been developed by using selective masking and a spectrophotometric detector with two flow cells aligned with the same optical path. The injected sample solution was first mixed with a reagent solution containing Chromazurol S (CAS) and cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTMAC), and the total absorbance of uranium- and thorium-CAS complexes was measured in the first flow cell at 620 nm. The sample stream was then mixed with an EDTA solution in order to convert the thorium-CAS complex to a thorium-EDTA complex, and the absorbance of the uranium-CAS complex was measured in the second flow cell. The detection limits were 10 microg dm(-3) for uranium and 7 microg dm(-3) for thorium. The calibration graphs were linear (r < 0.9998) at least over the ranges of 0.1 to 10 mg dm(-3) for uranium and 0.08 to 8 mg dm(-3) for thorium. The RSDs were less than 1.5% (n = 3) in the calibration range. Uranium and thorium of up to the 6-fold concentration to each other could be determined in admixtures with relative errors of less than 3.3%. The sample throughput was 24 per hour. The proposed system was successfully applied to the analysis of a uranium-thorium ore mock solution by coupling with anion-exchange in a magnesium nitrate medium to eliminate interference from coexisting elements.     

A spectrophotometric method for uranium determination

A very sensitive extraction spectrophotometric method for the analysis of uranium based on the extraction of a uranium—benzoate—crystal violet complex by a mixture of xylene and benzene is described. The absorbance maximum is at 606 nm and molar absorptivity is 4.28·10⁴ l·mol⁻¹·cm⁻¹. The interference due to a number of anions and cations studied without any pre-extraction was found to be within permissible limits. The method has been used for determining uranium in a synthetic solution, i.e., uranium in the presence of various other ions. The interference due to some cations was eliminated by the use of a masking agent (boric acid).     

Biamperometric methodology for sequential determination of thorium and uranium

A biamperometric methodology for the sequential determination of thorium (Th) and uranium (U) was developed. In the sample solution containing Th and U, Th was first determined by complexometric titration based on the electrochemical behaviour of EDTA maintaining a potential of ≥200 mV between the twin Pt electrodes. This was followed by the redox titrimetric determination of U employing biamperometry to detect the end point. Prior to the determination of U, EDTA was destroyed by fuming with concentrated HClO₄ to eliminate its interference in the U determination. The method was tested for the determination of Th and U in (Th, U) O₂ samples containing 4 mg of Th and 2–8 mg of U, with precision and accuracy of better than 0.3 %.     

Selective spectrophotometric determination of uranium

Uranium(VI) (10–100 μg) is extracted with 2% dibenzoylmethane in benzene at pH 6–7 while other cations are masked with CDTA (maximum of 8 μg/100 ml). Shaking with 6 M hydrochloric acid reintroduces uranium(VI) into the aqueous phase, where after evaporation and complexation with Arsenazo III in 0.02 M hydrochloric acid the final measurement of absorbance at 650 nm is performed. Iron(III), copper(II), aluminum, and zinc do not interfere even if present in amounts of 15–19 mmol.     

Direct spectrophotometric determination of thorium with spadns

A direct spcctrophotometric method is described for the determination of thorium usiiiK SPADNS as the reagent. The method is sensitive and quantities as small as 0.04 γ of thorium can be estimated. Moderate amounts of uranium and rare earths do not interfere. The stoichiometric composition of the coloured complex has been determined spcctropliotometrically by the 'slope ratio method'.     

Method for the determination of thorium and uranium in urine by ICP-MS

ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) is shown as a very sensitive method for quantitative determination of Th and U concentration and excretion analysis in urine without any sample pretreatment. The current standard method for incorporation monitoring applies alpha-spectrometry, a very tedious and time consuming technique. ICP-MS offers an attractive alternative for monitoring of thorium and uranium body burdens in occupationally exposed subjects and also larger groups of the general population. A limit of determination of 0.5 ng/L in aqueous solutions and 1 ng/L in urine samples for both elements was achieved, with a precision of about ± 10% in the concentration range of appr. 10 ng/L. Due to the lack of a suitable reference material, the accuracy of the method was tested by comparing some of the results with those obtained by -spectrometry, especially for U. There was a sufficient agreement on both results.     

A titrimetric method for the sequential determination of thorium and uranium

A method for the sequential determination of thorium and uranium has been developed. In the sample solution containing thorium and uranium, thorium is first determined by complexometric titration with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and then in the same solution uranium is determined by redox titration employing potentiometry. As EDTA interferes in uranium determination giving positive bias, it is destroyed by fuming with HClO₄ prior to the determination of uranium. A precision and accuracy of better than ±0.15% is obtained for thorium at 10mg level and uranium ranging from 5 mg to 20 mg in the aliquot.     

Analytical procedures for the determination of uranium and thorium traces in aluminium

Summary Different combined procedures involving element preconcentration and ICP-OES or polarography are described for the determination of the alpha emitters uranium and thorium in aluminium. The results are compared with those of instrumental neutron activation analysis.After extraction with ethyl acetate, uranium and thorium can be determined by ICP-OES (uranium detection limit, given as 3so, 12 ng/g, standard deviation 0.95 ng/g at 12.5 ng/g; thorium detection limit 8 ng/g, standard deviation 0.9 ng/g at 12.5 ng/g). After a second extraction with tri-n-octyl phosphine oxide, uranium can be determined by polarography (detection limit 10 ng/g, standard deviation 4.4 ng/g at 200 ng/g). Thorium also can be coprecipitated with Fe(OH)₃ and determined with ICP-OES (detection limit 5 ng/g, standard deviation 0.6 ng/g at 10 ng/g).The results obtained by wet chemical analyses lie within the spread of accuracy of the INAA results obtained by several laboratories. In general, the comparative results indicate that super pure aluminium containing less than 1 ng/g uranium and thorium can be produced.The paper has been presented at 12th Colloquium on Materials Analysis, Institute for Analytical Chemistry, Technical University in Vienna, May 13–15, 1985.     

Anion-exchange separation and spectrophotometric determination of thorium in geological samples

To determine thorium in geological samples it is first separated from all matrix elements by means of anion-exchange. After elution thorium is determined spectrophotometrically by using thoronol or arsenazo III. The suitability of the method for the determination of both trace and larger amounts of thorium was tested by analysing numerous geochemical standard samples with thorium contents in the range of 1-1000 ppm. In all cases very good agreement was obtained.     

Spectrophotometric determination of lanthanum, thorium and iron(III) with chromotropic acid azo dyes of the pyridine series

Highly sensitive methods for the determination of lan thanum, thorium and iron(III) have been developed with the sodium salts of 2-(pyridyl-2-azo)chromotropic acid, 2-(pyridyl-3-azo)chromotropic acid and 2-(2-carboxypyridyl-3-azo)chromotropic acid. Optimum concentration ranges are of the order 1-20 ppm. The effect of diverse ions (cations and anions) including those of rare-earths are reported. The nature of the complexes has been investigated and values for the instability constants are given.     

Extraction and spectrophotometric determination of uranium in phosphate fertilizers

An extraction and spectrophotometric method for determination of trace amounts of uranium in phosphate fertilizers is described. It is based on the extraction of uranium with trioctylphosphine oxide in benzene and the spectrophotometric determination of uranium with Arsenazo III in buffer-alcoholic medium. The maximum absorbance occurs at 655 nm with a molar absorptivity of 1.2·10⁴ l·mol^–1·cm^–1. Beer's law is obeyed over the range 0.6–15.0 g·ml^–1 of uranium(VI). The proposed method has been applied successfully to the analysis of phosphate fertilizers with phosphate concentrations of 45% P₂O₅.     

Anion-exchange enrichment and spectrophotometric determination of uranium in sea-water

A method is proposed for the determination of uranium in sea-water. The uranium is strongly sorbed on a strongly basic anion-exchange resin (Cl(-) form) from acidified sea-water containing sodium azide (0.3M) and is easily eluted with 1M hydrochloric acid. Uranium in the effluent can be determined spectrophotometrically with Arsenazo III. The combined method allows easy and selective determination of uranium in sea-water without using a sophisticated adsorbent. The overall recovery and precision are satisfactory at the 3 mug/1. level.     

Extraction-chromatographic determination of sulfonated azo dyes in aqueous solutions

The extraction of sulfonated azo dyes E102, E110, E122, E124, and E129 from aqueous solutions using hydrophilic solvents and their mixtures in the presence of a salting-out agent (ammonium sulphate) has been studied. Some regularities of extraction have been revealed. The composition of the mobile phase has been optimized and a procedure has been proposed for the identification and determination of the dyes in aqueous solutions by thin-layer chromatography in concentrations of 0.1–0.01 μg/L. An office scanner and a personal computer have been used to process the results of the separate determination of the dyes.