New ion exchange method for the determination of uranium in phosphate rocks, coal ashes, bauxites etc.

Abstract

The determination of microgram quantities of uranium in phosphate rocks by a single separation process, in the presence of large quantities of the cations iron (III), aluminum, calcium, magnesium, etc. was, until recently, a difficult micro-analytical problem. It was thought possible under certain conditions to determine uranium quantitatively in phosphate rocks, with the earlier published method for rapid determination of uranium (6) by carrying out a single column process, using the strongly basic anion exchanger "Amberlite" IRA-400 (NO3-). A critical study of this method proved however, that an accurate uranium determination with reproducible values was only possible with materials low in phosphate.