Determination of uranium and impurities in Portuguese yellow-cakes.

A method is described for separation of impurities in uranium yellow cakes from Urgeiriça (Portugal). The trace metals are separated and concentrated by solvent extraction from 6M nitric acid into 100% TBP. The raffinate is then analysed directly by flame spectrometry. Uranium is determined gravimetrically after stripping of the organic phase. The method is fast and economic, and the results are in good agreement with those obtained by specific methods for each element after prior separation of uranium by precipitation or solvent extraction with various solvents.