Radiochemical separation of zirconium and hafnium from other radionuclides.
Radiozirconium and radiohafnium may be separated from all other radionuclides except scandium and protactinium by precipitation with mandelic acid from 5-10 M hydrochloric acid, using commercial zirconyl chloride as carrier. Scandium and protactinium are removed by dissolving the precipitate in sodium carbonate, then adding barium nitrate to precipitate barium carbonate which acts as a scavenger. Zirconium mandelate is finally reprecipitated and the sample weighed and counted in this form. The method was checked by analysing commercial zirconyl chloride and standard rock samples for zirconium and hafnium by neutron-activation analysis.
Hahn
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RB
Analytical Sciences Division U.K. Atomic Energy Research Establishment Harwell, Berks., U.K.