Study of the hydrolysis of Zr/sup 4 +/ and Hf/sup 4 +/ ions in sulfate solutions by the method of paper chromatography

Using eluting solutions of various compositions (acetone + concentrated HCl, solution of D2EHPA in benzene, solution of tri-n-octylamine in benzene) in the process of paper chromatography, the hydrolyzed ions are retained close to the point of application of the initial solution, while nonhydrolyzed ions are extracted by the eluting solution. The distribution of the radioactive isotope along the chromatogram as a function of the pH of the initial solution was established, and a method was developed for the exact determination of the ratio of the activities of the zones of localization of the hydrolyzed and nonhydrolyzed ions. The hydrolysis of /sup 95/Zr and /sup 181/Hf sulfates was studied in the interval pH = 0.5 to 2. In solutions with pH greater than 2 colloid formation is possible. The treatment of the experimental results according to the method of least squares yielded values of the hydrolysis constants of the reactions Me/sup 4 +/ + n x (OH/sup -/) ..-->.. Me(OH)/sub n//sup 4-n/, which proved equal to: K/sub 1//sup Zr/ = 10/sup 12/, K/sub 2//sup Zr/ = 3.3 x 10/sup 23/, K/sub 2//sup Hf/ = 2.7 x 10/sup 24/.