Extraction chromatographic separations of tantalum and tungsten from hafnium and complex matrix constituents.

Tantalum (Ta), hafnium (Hf), and tungsten (W) analyses from complex matrices require high purification of these analytes from each other and major/trace matrix constituents, however, current state-of-the-art Ta/Hf/W separations rely on traditional anion exchange approaches that show relatively similar distribution coefficient (Kd) values for each element. This work reports an assessment of three commercially available extraction chromatographic resins (TEVA, TRU, and UTEVA) for Ta/Hf/W separations. Batch contact studies show differences in Ta/Hf and Ta/W Kd values of up to 106 and 104 (respectively), representing an improvement of a factor of 100 and 300 in Ta/Hf and Ta/W Kd values (respectively) over AG1×4 resin. Variations in the Kd values as a function of HCl concentration for TRU resin show that this resin is well suited for Ta/Hf/W separations, with Ta/Hf, Ta/W, and W/Hf Kd value improvements of 10, 200, and 30 (respectively) over AG1×4 resin. Analyses of digested soil samples (NIST 2710a) using TRU resin and tandem TEVA-TRU columns demonstrate the ability to achieve extremely high purification (>99%) of Ta and W from each other and Hf, as well as enabling very high purification of Ta and W from the major and trace elemental constituents present in soils using a single chromatographic step.

Simultaneous determinations of zirconium, hafnium, yttrium and lanthanides in seawater according to a co-precipitation technique onto iron-hydroxide.

Very low concentrations (pg mL(-1) or sub-pg mL(-1) level) along with the high salinity are the main problems in determining trace metal contents in seawater. This problem is mainly considered for investigations of naturally occurring YLOID (Y and Lanthanides) and Zr and Hf in order to provide precise and accurate results. The inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), both in high and low resolution, offers many advantages including simultaneous analyses of all elements and their quantitative determination with detection limits of the order of pg mL(-1). However in the analysis of YLOID in seawater, a better determination needs an efficient combination of ICP-MS measurement with a pre-concentration technique. To perform an ultra-trace analysis in seawater, we have validated an analytical procedure involving an improved modified co-precipitation on iron hydroxides to ensure the simultaneous quantitative recovery of YLOID, Zr and Hf contents with measurement by a quadrupole ICP-MS. The validity of the method was assessed through a series of co-precipitation experiments and estimation of several quality control parameters for method validation, namely working range and its linearity, detection limit, quantification limit, precision and spike recoveries, and the methodological blank choice, are introduced, evaluated and discussed. Analysis of NASS-6, is the first report on the latest seawater reference material for YLOID, hafnium and zirconium.

Separation of carrier-free hafnium and lutetium radionuclides produced in 16O activated terbium metal target.

Charged particle activation with approximately 88 MeV 16O7+ beam on natural terbium metal foil leads to the production of the short lived carrier-free radioisotopes 170,171Ta and their corresponding daughter products 170,171Hf and 170,171Lu in the target matrix. Liquid-liquid extraction with HDEHP diluted in cyclohexane was carried out for the separation of 170,171Hf and 170,171Lu from the bulk terbium in an aqueous HCl medium.

Cation exchange separation of trace amounts of 203Hg and 181Hf.

A radiochemical method of separation of 203Hg from 181Hf is described. The method involves separation by Dowex 50W- X 8, 100-200 mesh, cation exchange resin using 1 M hydrochloric acid as the eluant. The chemical yield for the separation of mercury is > 85% and the decontamination factor is > 10(4). The 181Hf can be eluted from the column by 4 M HCl.