Neutron activation of traces in electrolytic zinc sulphate solutions : Simultaneous determination of mercury,uranium and ytterbium

A neutron activation determination of traces of mercury, uranium and ytterblum in electrolytic zinc sulphate solutions has been devised The isotope ¹⁹⁷Hg was measured by means of its 68-and 77-keV photopeaks Uranium was determined by measurements of the 106-keV photopeak of the ²³⁹Np daughter activity The 50- and 53-keV X-rays of ytterbium isotopes ¹⁹⁹Yb and ¹⁷⁵Yb were counted using a 1-mm thick Nal(Tl) wafer crystal The chemical separation was performed on anion-exchange resin. The matrix activities were eliminated in 185N hydrofluoric acid while the neptunium and ytterbium activities were desorbed with 5N hydrochloric acid Mercury was eluted from the column with 0.5 M thourea-0.005 N hydrochloric acid and precipitated as sulpinde