DETERMINATION OF ALKALIES IN URANIUM

The flame spectrophotometric method has been previously used for the determination of alkali metals in uranium solutions, but this requires special types of fume hoods over the flame to prevent contamination of laboratory atmosphere with uranium. Therefore an ion-exchange method for separation of alkali metals from uranium prior to their flame spectrophotometric determination was devised. Sodium, potassium, and lithium were separated by an ion-exchange method using a carboxylic type resin (Merck IV). An ion-exchange column was prepared with 100-200 mesh resin in a 1.2 x 23 cm glass tube. The 15cm column of resin was equilibrated with N ammonium chloride and used to separate uranium from a uranyl nitrate solution contairing the other cations. The sample of uranyl nitrate was evaporated to dryness on a water bath to remove as much free acid as possible. It was then taken up in l0 ml N ammonium chloride; the solution was passed through the column which was then washed with 75 ml N ammonium chloride solution at a flow rate of 1 ml/min. The effluent and washings were collected, evapornted to dryness, and heated carefully to decompose the ammonium salts. The remaining alkali metals were determined flame photometrically using an oxyhydrogen flame.more » (BBB)« less