Simultaneous determination of lanthanum and cerium in mixed rare earths with p-acetylarsenazo by spectrophotometry

A new method has been developed for the simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of small amounts of lanthanum and cerium in the presence of large amounts of rare earth elements. Lanthanum (III) and cerium (III) were determined spectrophotometrically with p-acetylarsenazo as the color reagent in the chloroacetic acid medium at pH 3.1 by measuring the absorbances of the complexes at 670 nm. The remained rare earths were masked with ethylenediaminetetracetic acid and ethylenediaminetetracetic acid-zinc during the analysis. The optimum conditions for the simultaneous determination of lanthanum and cerium have been defined. The individual content of lanthanum (III) and cerium (III) were determined by varying the amounts of EDTA and EDTA-Zn used in the analysis and solving the simultaneous absorbance equations based on the Beer's law. The proposed method has been successfully applied to the determination of lanthanum and cerium in Longnan mixed rare earth oxides and other heavy rare earths without preliminary separation with satisfactory results. The relative errors of all analytical results of the method were not more than 2% with good precision. The procedure does not require separation of lanthanum, cerium and the other rare earth elements.     

Spectrophotometric determination of rare earth elements and thorium with arsenazo

The simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of rare earth elements (lanthanum and gadolinium) and thorium with arsenuzo is described. In 0.05 N nitric acid, thorium alone forms a colored complex with the reagent; at PH 7.2 both thorium and the rare carths form colored complexes. Satisfactory results were obtained with weight ratios of Th/rare earths ranging from 0.2 to 10.     

Examination of the hexamethylenetetramine procedure for separation of thorium from rare earths and for determination of thorium

An examination has been made of the efficiency of the gravimetric reagent hexamethylenetetramine in the separation of thorium from rare earths and in the determination of thorium. Losses to the filtrate, beaker and filter paper are evaluated as well as the extent of rare earth and other contamination of the thorium hydroxide precipitate. When hydroxylamine is used as the reducing agent to keep cerium in the tervalent state, excellent separations are obtained. The efficacy of the reagent is offset by the loss of small amounts of thorium to the precipitation vessel, the scavenging properties of the precipitate for silica and the difficulty in evaluating a true reagent blank.     

Separation and gravimetric determination of thorium and cerium(IV) with vanillin

Vanillin forms insoluble complexes with thorium and cerium(IV) at pH 4.0–6.2 and 2.5–7.0 respectively. Thorium and cerium can be determined gravimetrically and separated from each other as well as from uranium(VI) and typical trivalent rare earths. The precipitates obtained are ignited to the corresponding oxide and weighed; as little as 4.4 mg of ThO₂ and 4.9 mg of CeO₂ can be determined.     

Photochemical precipitation of thorium and cerium and their separation from other ions in aqueous solution

Thorium was precipitated from homogeneous solution by exposing solutions of thorium and periodate in dilute perchloric acid to 253.7 nm radiation from a low-pressure mercury lamp. Periodate is reduced photochemically to iodate which causes the formation of a dense precipitate of the basic iodate of thorium(IV). The precipitate was redissolved, the iodate reduced, the thorium precipitated first as the hydroxide, then as the oxalate and ignited to the dioxide for weighing. Thorium(IV) solutions containing 8-200 mg of ThO(2) gave quantitative results with a standard deviation (s) of 0.2 mg. Separations from 25 mg each of iron, calcium, magnesium, 50 mg of yttrium and up to 500 mg of uranium(VI) were quantitative (s = 0.25 mg). Separations from rare earths, except cerium, were accomplished by using hexamethylenetetramine rather than ammonia for the precipitation of the hydroxide. Cerium(III) was similarly precipitated and converted into CeO(2) for weighing. Quantitative results were obtained for 13-150 mg of CeO(2) with a standard deviation of 0.2 mg. Separations from 200 mg of uranium were quantitative. Other rare earths and yttrium interfered seriously. The precipitates of the basic cerium(IV) and thorium iodates obtained are more compact than those obtained by direct precipitation and can be handled easily. Attempts to duplicate Suzuki's method for separating cerium from neodymium and yttrium were not successful.     

A note on successive complexometric determination of thorium and rare earths

An improved method for successive determination of thorium and rare earths is described. It is based on the EDTA titration of thorium at pH 2 (Xylenol Orange as indicator) followed by addition of acetylacetone-acetone mixture, adjustment of the pH to 5-5.5 with hexamine, and by further EDTA titration of rare earths with the same indicator.     

Determination of traces of rare earths in high-purity thorium dioxide by neutron activation analysis

The use of thorium dioxide as a nuclear fuel requires the determination of individual rare earth impurities at 0.08–1 mg kg^?1 levels. Neutron activation is sufficiently sensitive but separation from the matrix is essential. In the proposed method, thorium dioxide (5–20 g) is dissolved in concentrated nitric acid with a little hydrofluoric acid; after evaporation, thorium is complexed with ammonium carbonate and the solution is passed through a small column of Chelex-100 resin which retains the rare earths quantitatively without retaining thorium. The rare earth elements are eluted with dilute nitric acid, concentrated, and irradiated with standards; after irradiation the rare earth are collected on a lanthanum carrier and measured by γ-ray spectrometry. The recoveries of rare earths were checked with tracers and by standard addition to thorium dioxide matrices. The reproducibility for La, Eu and Dy was satisfactory at 0.01, 0.003 and 0.002 mg kg^?1, respectively; as was the reproducibility for all rare earths added to thorium dioxide (1–4 μg/5 g). Limits of detection are adequate for certification of nuclear-grade material.     

可变误差多面体法同时测定镧及其它轻稀土含量

报导了以化学性质极其相似的La、Ce、Pr、Nd、Sm为分析对象, 采用五个已知组成的标样, 通过全选主元的Gauss消去法求得单组分的吸光常数。据此再用可变误差多面体法求解样品中各组分的浓度, 实践证明, 此法不仅减小了实验误差和手工计算时间,而且考虑了组分间的相互作用, 能获得比较准确的结果, 可变误差多面体法也是解决这类问题更为合适的方法。     

Gravimetric determination of thorium and cerium with n-benzoylphenylhydroxylamine

Benzoylphenylhydroxylamine has been used for the precipitation of thorium and trivalent cerium; the precipitates are ignited to the corresponding metal dioxide and weighed. Ceric ions are reduced before precipitation. The gravimetric separation of thorium and cerium is effected by precipitation at different pH values.     

Amperometry with Two Polarizable Electrodes. Chelometric Determination of Rare Earths

Abstract

The method of determining rare earths by chelometric EDTA titration with biamperometric end-point indication using two stationary platinum electrodes was studied. The convenient pH range for the determination of lanthanum is 5.0 – 8.0, for yttrium 3.5 – 8.0 and for ytterbium 3.0 – 8.0. Rare earths have been determined in the presence of iron and thorium. Iron and thorium can be titrated at pH 1.5 – 2.0 and rare earths of the lanthanum group can be determined by successive titration at pH 5.0. Large amounts of rare earths of the yttrium group interfere with the determination of iron and thorium.     

The determination of trace amounts of zirconium,hafnium, thorium and cerium in silicate rocks

A method is described for the determination of traces of zirconium, hafnium, cerium and thorium in rocks. After the sample has been opened up, these elements are separated from the major component elements by extraction from 10 N nitric acid with a 40% solution of tri-n-butyl phosphate, cerium being oxidised with bro-mate. After back-extraction the elements are separated from each other and from other extracted elements by cation exchange. Zirconium is determined photometrically with quinalizarin sulphonic acid which gives about twice the sensitivity of alizarin red S. Thorium is determined photometrically with thorin, and cerium by utilizing its bleaching action on iron(II) phenanthroline. Hf is determined spectro-graphically.     

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.     

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'.     

The development of fluoride-sensitive membrane electrodes : Part I. Membranes containing thorium,lanthanum or calcium fluoride

Fluoride-sensitivc membrane electrodes of the Pungor type are described. In these electrodes, a fluoride precipitate is incorporated in a silicone rubber membrane; fluorides of thorium, lanthanum and other rare earths, and calcium have been examined. The method of preparing the precipitate is important; an excess of metal is vital for correct functioning of the final electrode. The most reliable results were obtained with calcium fluoride electrodes, though their sensitivity was less than that of the best lanthanum fluoride electrodes. With these electrodes, linear responses are obtained in the l0^-2–10^-4M fluoride range.     

Successive determination of thorium and the rare earths with triethylenetetraminehexaacetic acid

Triethylenetetraminehexaacetic acid (TTHA) is proposed for the successive determination of thorium and rare earths in mixtures by titrating first for thorium at pH 2, then adding an excess of TTHA to complex the rare earth ions completely, and titrating the excess of TTHA with standard zinc solution. Xylenol Orange and 3',3'-bis {[N,N-bis (carboxymethy 1)amino]methyl} thymolsulphonephthalein (TMS) have been tested as indicators for the titration.     

Spectrophotometric determination of cerium with sulphanilic acid

In the presence of other rare earths, cerium(IV) can be determined spectrophotometrically by its reaction with sulphanilic acid with which it produces a red colour. Solutions containing 28-210 ppm of cerium absorb at 495 mmicro according to Beer's law. Other rare earths, except neodymium, and many common ions do not interfere. Strong oxidising agents and neodymium in greater than fifty times the concentration of cerium interfere with this method. The precision depends on the control of pH and time. Cerium alloys have been analysed by this method and the results are compared with those obtained by another spectrophotometric method.     

Gravimetric determination of thorium and zirconium

Summary Thorium and zirconium can be quantitatively precipitated by quinaldinic acid atph 2.7 and 3, respectively. As the precipitates are of nonstoichiometric composition they are to be ignited to oxides. By this reagent thorium can be quantitatively separated from arsenic (As³⁺), mercury (Hg²⁺), rare earths, manganese, magnesium and alkaline earths and zirconium from all the aforesaid ions excepting rare earths which contaminate to a slight extent.     

Spectrophotometric determination of zirconium, uranium, thorium and rare earths with arsenazo III after extractions with thenoyltrifluoroacetone and tri-n-octylamine

A method is described for the spectrophotometric determination of microgram amounts of zirconium, uranium(VI), thorium and rare earths with Arsenazo III after systematic separation by extraction. First zirconium is extracted into a xylene solution of thenoyltrifluoroacetone (TTA) from about 4M hydrochloric acid. Uranium(VI) is then extracted into a xylene solution of tri-n-octy lamine from about 4M hydrochloric acid. Thorium is next extracted into TTA solution at pH about 1.5, and finally rare earths are extracted into TTA solution at pH about 4.7. Each metal is back-extracted from the organic phase before determination.     

电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱法测定稀土钢中微量镧、铈

采用稀王水溶解样品,选择La408.672 nm、Ce456.236nm为分析线,建立了电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱法(ICP-OES)测定稀土钢中微量镧、铈的方法。结果表明,各元素校准曲线线性良好,相关系数可达0.99999;方法测定范围为：0.0001%～0.10%。检出限为：镧0.00002%,铈0.00006%。按照实验方法测定标样中镧、铈,结果的相对标准偏差RSD(n=8)为2.18%、1.68%。     

Extraction chromatographic separation of thorium (IV) with tri-n-octylphosphine oxide (TOPO)

Thorium was extracted from a mixture of nitric acid and NaNO₃ of 0.01M each at pH 2.2 on a column of silica gel coated with TOPO. Thorium was separated from alkalis, alkaline earths, chromium, iron, cobalt, nickel, zinc, cadmium, mercury, lead, trivalent rare earths, platinum group metals, chloride, phosphate and acetate in binary mixtures by selective extraction of thorium. Thorium was separated from cerium (IV), zirconium, uranium and molybdenum by selective elution of thorium with 0.01M H₂SO₄. The method was extended for the analysis of thorium in monozite ore.