SPECTROCHEMICAL DETERMINATION OF RARE EARTH METALS IN URANIUM AND ITS SALTS.

Abstract An emission spectrographic procedure is described for the determination of 0.05–4 ppm of rare-earth metals in uranium metal and its salts. Uranium is extracted from the sample with tributyl phosphate, and the impurities are separated by precipitation as hydroxides and oxalates, with yttrium as a carrier. After conversion into the oxides, the rare-earth metals are mixed with graphite and excited in a d.c. arc.