Neutron activation analysis of rare earth elements in alered volcanic rocks /palagonite/ from a seamount

By means of INAA, REEs in the dredged rocks from a seamount /KH73-4-2/ in the East Mariana Basin were determined. Based on the REE patterns, the rocks are classified into two groups despite of alteration: highly altered palagonite of oceanic-island tholeiitic nature, and relatively fresh basaltic-andesitic rocks of alkaline rock nature.     

Neutron activation analysis of rare earth elements in deep sea sediments from the Pacific Ocean and the Japan Sea

Seven REEs in the deep sea sediments from various regions /19 sites/ of the Pacific Ocean and the Japan Sea were determined with INAA. Regional variations of La/Yb ratio and Ce anomaly may reflect the relative contribution of the source materials in the formation of the deep sea sediments.     

Radiochemical neutron activation analysis of rare earth elements in peridotitic rocks

The understanding of the geochemistry of basalt petrogenesis and the nature of the upper mantle requires the examination of such rocks as peridotites which in many cases are thought to represent upper mantle material. The mineralogical composition of peridotitic rocks in such that they accommodate large proportions of such trace elements as the transition elements but very small amounts of the rare earths and hygromagmaphile elements. The last two groups are often able to provide a large amount of information leading to petrogenetic models. Owing to the extremely low concentrations of the REE in peridotitic rocks it is necessary to separate them from other elements which will interfere with their precise determination. We have used a radiochemical neutron activation analytical method which is adapted from various published methods. It involves a post-irradiation sample fusion, two separate ion-exchange chromatographic stages and finally a fluoride precipitation. The RNAA procedure is capable of providing very precise REE data for perioditic samples and we have used it for the analysis of such rocks from several geodynamic environments.     

Precise determination of rare earth elements in rocks by neutron activation analysis

A pre-irradiation group separation method has been developed for the neutron activation analysis of rare earth elements (REE) and Ba in silicate rocks. REE and Ba were quantitatively separated from other elements by cation exchange column method. The chemical yield of each separation was monitored with Pr added to the sample powder before decomposition. The accuracy and precision were tested by repeated analyses of JB-1 and one analysis of BCR-1. In addition, it was found that REE distribution in a granitic rock powder was inhomogeneous and therefore special care must be taken for the sampling of granitic rock powders.     

Neutron activation analysis of rare earth impurities in europium oxide

A neutron activation analysis method for determining Yb, Dy, Ho, Sm and La impurities in europium oxide with sensitivities of 10^?5 to 10^?7% is described. The method is based on a preliminary concentration of the rare earth elements by reducing europium(III) with zinc to europium(II), and separating the trivalent rare earth elements by extraction chromatography. After neutron irradiation, the individual radioisotopes of the rare earth elements are separated by using KU-2 cation exchange resin and ammonium α-hydroxyisobutyrate solution as the eluant.     

Neutron activation analysis of rare earth impurities in metallic uranium

A method with a sensitivity of 2·10⁻⁷ to 1·10⁻¹⁰% has been developed for determining Yb, Ho, Dy, Gd, Eu, Sm and La impurities in metallic uranium by means of neutron activation. The method is based on a preliminary chromatographic separation of the total amount of rare earth elements from uranium by passing the solution in sulphuric acid through KU-2 cation exchange resin and eluting the traces of uranium retained by the resin with a solution of ascorbic acid. The rare earth impurities are then eluted from the resin with 4–5N HCl, evaporated, and irradiated for 20 hours with a neutron flux of 1.2·10¹³ n·cm⁻²·sec⁻¹. Subsequently the traces of the rare earth elements are co-precipitated with Fe(OH)₃, dissolved in concentrated HCl and separated from the iron and other impurities by passing the solution through Dowex 1X8 anion exchange resin in the chloride form. The individual rare earth elements are then separated from each other using KU-2 cation exchange resin and a solution of ammonium α-hydroxyisobutyrate as the eluant.     

Group separation of rare earth elements by liquid-liquid extraction for the neutron activation analysis of silicate rocks

Rare earth elements are isolated as a group from neutron activated rock samples by a new radiochemical procedure based on extraction with thenoyltrifluoracetone/phenanthroline in CHCl₃. The procedure consists of three extraction steps, obviates the use of anactive carriers and gives practically quantitative chemical yields, thereby avoiding fractionation of the individual rare earths. Details of the dissolution, chemical separations and counting procedure are given togther with an analysis of BCR-1.     

Application of intrinsic Ge detectors to the instrumental neutron activation analysis for rare earth elements in rocks and minerals

Improvements in the specifications of low-energy, intrinsic Ge detectors have enabled the routine determination of the concentrations in geological samples of eleven rare earth elements, including lanthanum, without using a Ge(Li) detector. The efficiency of an intrinsic Ge detector is compared with a high-efficiency Ge(Li) detector, and a quantitative assessment of the effect of X-ray and gamma-ray interferences is given. Rare earth element abundances in four U. S. G. S. standard rocks have been determined.     

Determination of rare earth elements in phosphorites by neutron activation analysis

Fourty three phosphorite rocks from Western Iraq were analyzed for eleven REE as well as uranium by NAA using IRT Reactor with a neutron flux of 2.3·10¹³ n·cm^–2·s^–1. The gamma activity from each sample was counted with a Ge(Li) and well-type HPGe, each detector connected to an on-line computer. Uranium fission products and different reaction interferences were assessed and allowed for. The results were also checked against international reference materials.     

Determination of rare earth elements in mineral raw materials and rare earth industry products by neutron activation analysis

To determine REE in mineral raw materials, high purity RE metals and their compounds, neutron activation analysis with extraction chromatographic REE separation has been developed. Combination of the developed RE extraction and separation procedures with subsequent -spectrometric analysis of the RE radionuclides allows to determine their content with the lower detection limit –10^–5–10^–8%. The relative standard deviation is 0.2–0.3.     

Determination of rare earth elements in bauxites by instrumental neutron activation analysis

The instrumental neutron activation analysis method was used for determination of 12 rare earth elements in red and white bauxites. Consideration was given to those systematic errors which in a relative method of analysis can result from the effects of neutron self-shielding, photon self-absorption and fission interfering reactions, due to different chemical composition of bauxite samples and the standard of silicate rock. Also presented is the characteristics “V” shaped chondrite normalized rare earth pattern of white bauxites.     

Neutron activation analysis of rhenium in rocks

A method for neutron activation determination of rhenium in rocks has been developed. Fusion with potassium hydroxide containing 15% water in a Teflon beaker was used in decomposition of irradiated samples. The purification procedure is given. Rhenium in the rocks is in the range of 1-10 ng/g.     

Simultaneous multielement determination of rare earth elements by substoichiometric activation analysis

This paper presents simultaneous substoichiometric separation of four rare earth elements; samarium, europium, terbium and ytterbium. The elements are separated simultaneously and substoichiometrically by forming their complexanates with substoichiometric DTPA and extracting their unreacted parts with HTTA. Application to the determination of these elements by substoichiometric neutron activation is also presented.     

Determination of rare earth elements by neutron activation analysis in altered ultramafic rocks from the Akwatia District of the Birim diamondiferous field,Ghana

Summary Rare earth element (REE) analysis using instrumental neutron activation (INAA) was carried out on ultramafic rocks from the Akwatia District of the Birim diamondiferous field, Ghana, with the primary objective of investigating their kimberlitic characteristics. The total REE concentrations range from 113 to 1610 ppm and fall within the interval of those reported in the literature for kimberlites. Despite the marked difference in the REE contents, all the analyzed samples show similar REE patterns that resemble those of kimberlites. However, compared to most of the kimberlites, the ultramafic rocks have small negative Eu anomalies and low light-REE/heavy-REE ratios, suggesting that the rocks have been significantly assimilated by crustal rocks.     

Radiochemical neutron activation analysis of individual rare earth elements in monazites from different geological environments

Radiochemical neutron activation analysis /RNAA/ has been applied for the determination of individual rare earth elements /REE/, except Tm, in 8 Indian monazites and one each from Malaysia and Thailand. Because of the very low amounts of heavy rare earths /HREE/ compared to light rare earths /LREE/ in monazite, HREE from Ho onwards have been determined only after the separation of the heavy and light rare earth fractions in the irradiated monazite samples. The results indicate significant variations in REE contents from Eu to Lu among different monazite samples. The chondritic normalized REE patterns of all the samples show a prominent negative Eu anomaly with different slopes at the heavy rare earth end. All the individual REE, except Tm, have been reported for the first time in various Indian monazites.     

Determination of rare earth elements in rocks and meteorites by the radioactivation method

Methods of digestion of samples by acidic dissolution and in fused sodium peroxide were modified in conformity with the chemical composition of basalts, periotites and stone meteorites as well as the method of REE pre-concentration by the lanthanum fluoride cycle. The enriching methods were used for the neutron-activation determination of the individual rare-earth elements in rocks and meteorites with a sensitivity up to 10⁻⁸%.     

Neutron activation analysis of some volcanic rocks

INNA has been adopted for multielemental study of an acidic rock (OH-121) and three basic rocks (EH-121, WH-121 and SI-121) collected from Al-Madina in the Western Region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arbia. The basic rocks have higher concentrations of the transition elements Ti, V, Cr, Mn and Co, as compared to the acidic rock.     

Determination of rare earth elements by charged particle activation analysis in geological materials

The rare earth elements (REE), Pr, Sm, Eu, Gd, Ho, Er and Tm have been determined by charged particle activation analysis using 40 MeV a-particles through radiochemical approach. The radiochemical separation of REE as a group has been carried out from the bulk matrix. It has been shown from the theoretical computation that the products obtained from (a,xn) reactions (x = 1, 2, 3) are more suitable compared to those from (a,pyn) reactions (y = 0, 1, 2) due to the former having higher cross section (of the order of thousand millibarns).     

Determination of rare earth elements in fern leaves using instrumental neutron activation analysis

The lanthanides (REE) in 142 fern leaves collected from several sampling sites in Japan have been determined by neutron activation analysis, and the correlations between any two REEs in the logarithmic scattering diagram were examined. The relationship was expressed by the general formula, Y=aX+b with a correlation coefficient R. A strong positive correlation was seen between any two REEs in the diagram with a regression coefficient and a correlation coefficient close to unity. However, between Eu or Tb and other REEs the relationship was split into two lines with the same correlation coefficient. From the intercept b, the relative abundance of the two elements was determined for each REE and compared with those in hickory and tobacco leaves. These findings indicated that the abundance pattern of fern leaves is quite different from those of hickory and tobacco leaves. Namely, the relative abundance of La and Ce was quite similar in the three plants, but the abundance of the other REEs (Nd, Sm, Gd, Dy and Lu) was considerably lower in ferns than in hickory and tobacco leaves. For Eu and Tb the higher values obtained in fern leaves coincided with those of the two plants.