Radiochemical determination of protactinium-231 in environmental and biological materials

Journal Article · Fri Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1978 · Anal. Chem.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ac50033a042· OSTI ID:6478380

Sill, C W

Procedures are presented for determination of protactinium-231 in uranium ores and mill tailings, water, air dusts, bone ash, and other similar types of samples. Except for bone ash, the samples are dissolved by fusion with anhydrous potassium fluoride in a platinum dish, assuring complete dissolution of the most refractory forms. The fluoride cake is then transposed with sulfuric acid to a pyrosulfate fusion, simultaneously eliminating all fluoride and silicon by volatilization. Protactinium is removed from a hydrochloric acid solution of the pyrosulfate cake either by direct extraction into diisobutylcarbinol or by precipitation with barium sulfate prior to the extraction, depending on the interferences present. Any insoluble sulfates or acids are removed by centrifugation and treated separately. The separated protactinium can then be electrodeposited and determined by either ..cap alpha.. spectrometry or gross ..cap alpha.. counting, or precipitated on barium sulfate for gross counting when equipment for either electrodeposition or ..cap alpha.. spectrometry is not available. The effect of interfering elements is discussed. Directions are also given for purification and standardization of both protactinium-231 and -233 tracers for use in determination of counting efficiencies and chemical yields. 4 tables, 1 figure.

• Research Organization: Radiological and Environmental Sciences Lab., Idaho Falls, ID
• OSTI ID: 6478380
• Journal Information: Anal. Chem.; (United States), Vol. 50:11
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
DUSTS
RADIOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS
MILL TAILINGS
PROTACTINIUM 231
URANIUM ORES
WATER
ACCURACY
ALCOHOLS
ALPHA DETECTION
ALPHA SPECTRA
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTION YIELD
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
ELECTRODEPOSITION
HYDROCHLORIC ACID
MELTING
POTASSIUM FLUORIDES
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
SAMPLE PREPARATION
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
SULFURIC ACID
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHARGED PARTICLE DETECTION
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
DEPOSITION
DETECTION
ELECTROLYSIS
EXTRACTION
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HEAVY NUCLEI
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
ISOTOPES
LYSIS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
POTASSIUM COMPOUNDS
PROTACTINIUM ISOTOPES
RADIATION DETECTION
RADIOISOTOPES
SOLID WASTES
SPECTRA
SURFACE COATING
TAILINGS
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
YIELDS
400103* - Radiometric & Radiochemical Procedures- (-1987)