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Separation behavior of U(VI) and Th(IV) on a cation exchange column using 2,6‐pyridine dicarboxylic acid as a complexing agent and its application for the rapid separation and determination of U and Th by ion chromatography
Author(s) -
Jeyakumar Subbiah,
Mishra Vivekchandra Guruprasad,
Das Mrinal Kanti,
Raut Vaibhavi Vishwajeet,
Sawant Ramesh Mahadev,
Ramakumar Karanam Lakshminarayana
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of separation science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.72
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1615-9314
pISSN - 1615-9306
DOI - 10.1002/jssc.201000907
Subject(s) - chemistry , thorium , elution , uranium , ion exchange , lanthanide , detection limit , alkali metal , pyridine , nitric acid , column chromatography , monazite , chromatography , analytical chemistry (journal) , nuclear chemistry , inorganic chemistry , ion , materials science , paleontology , organic chemistry , medicinal chemistry , metallurgy , biology , zircon
The retention behavior of U and Th as their 2,6‐pyridine dicarboxylic acid (PDCA) complexes on a cation exchange column was investigated under low pH conditions. Based on the observed retention characteristics, an ion chromatographic method for the rapid separation of uranium and thorium in isocratic elution mode using 0.08 mM PDCA and 0.24 M KNO 3 in 0.22 M HNO 3 as the eluent was developed. Both uranium and thorium were eluted as their PDCA complexes within 2 min, whereas the transition and lanthanide metal cations were eluted as an unresolved broad peak after thorium. Under the optimized conditions both U and Th have no interference either from alkali and alkaline earth elements up to a concentration ratio of 1:500 or from other elements up to 1:100. The detection limits (LOD) of U and Th were calculated as 0.04 and 0.06 ppm, respectively ( S / N =3). The precision in the measurement of peak area of 0.5 ppm of both U and Th was better than 5% and a linear calibration in the concentration range of 0.25–25 ppm of U and Th was obtained. The method was successfully applied to determine U and Th in effluent water samples.