ULTRAVIOLET SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC DETERMINATION OF URANIUM. Separation of Uranium from Bismuth Using Tris-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphine Oxide. Work completed, May 1958

Technical Report · Sun Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1959

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4174937· OSTI ID:4174937

Heyn, A H.A.; Banerjee, G

An ultraviolet spectrophotometric method for the determination of uranium was developed which is based on the ultraviolet absorption of the complex of uranium(VI) with tris-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphine oxide (TEHPO). The complex is formed by extracting unanium(VI) from an aqueous 6M sodium nitrate solution in the pH range 2.5to 3.0 into 0.1M solution of TEHPO in an inert diluent, cyclohexane. This extraction also separates the uranium from many diverse ions that otherwise interfere. The reliable range for aqueous samples is 0.0025 to 0.1 mg of uranium per ml. The standard deviation is less than 1% for both 0.05 mg uranium per ml of the organic phase for 1-cm cells and 0.005 mg per ml for 5- cm cells. Extraction of uranium from 7M nitric acid with 0.1M TEHPO, followed by stripping with sodium carbonate solution, was successfully utilized to develop a method for the separation of uranium from 10,000-fold excess of bismuth. (auth)

• Research Organization: Boston Univ.
• NSA Number: NSA-14-009454
• OSTI ID: 4174937
• Report Number(s): NYO-7568
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ACIDITY
ALKYL RADICALS
BISMUTH
CHEMISTRY
CYCLOALKANES
ETHYL RADICALS
HEXANE
IONS
NITRIC ACID
ORGANIC PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
PHOSPHINES
PHOTOMETRY
PREPARATION
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SODIUM CARBONATES
SODIUM NITRATES
SOLUTIONS
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
SPECTRA
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
URANIUM
URANIUM COMPLEXES
USES