Activation analysis of rare earths : The determination of rare earths in minerals by the single comparator technique

The determination of rare earths in minerals by activation analysis is described. The rare earths are separated as a group from the bulk of the material before irradiation. After irradiation the rare earths are separated from each other by gradient elution with ammonium α-hydroxyisobutyrate on a cation-exchange column. The elements are determined by the single comparator technique. This method permits a practical application of activation analysis to the routine determination of rare earths in complex matrices,