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THE DETERMINATION OF RADIUM-228 IN HARWELL EFFLUENT

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:4120390
Radium is recovered from an aliquot of effluent by coprecipitation with lead and barium sulfates. The precipitate is dissolved in an alkaline solution of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and the barium- radium sulfate is reprecipitated by careful adjustment of the acidity. Following metathesis to the carbonate and solution in dilute acid, the barium-- radium solution is fed to a heated column of ion exchange resin. The radium is eluted free from barium carrier, with 0.5 M citric acid adjusted to pH 6 with ammonia. The actininm-228 daughter is permitted to grow in the radium fraction of the eluate before being extracted with di-(2-ethylhexyl) hydrogen phosphate. The recovered actinium is purified by further ion exchange separations and then beta counted. The analytical procedure is standardized against a solution of natural thorium containing a known quantity of radium-228. (auth)
Research Organization:
United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. Research Group. Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell, Berks, England
NSA Number:
NSA-18-006741
OSTI ID:
4120390
Report Number(s):
AERE-R-4460
Country of Publication:
United Kingdom
Language:
English