1959•OSTI OAI (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information)Requires access
SODIUM HYPOPHOSPHATE AS A REAGENT FOR THE SEPARATION OF THORIUM, ZIRCONIUM AND NIOBIUM
L. Kosta, L. Ravnik
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Abstract
A very selective procedure for the separation of niobium, zirconium, and thorium from most elements as well as from each other has been devised. It is based on the precipitation of these elements with sodium hypophosphate using titanium as carrier. The precipitation from 6 M hydrochloric acid is nearly quantitative. After eliminating other interfering elements, thorium is separated in the form of fluoride. Zirconium is coprecipitated is barium zirconium fluoride from a solution in which niobium was complexed with hydrofluoric acid. Niobium is finally isolated from the hydrofluoric medium as cupferrate. A detailed description of the procedures for the determination of the isolated ions is given. A liquid-liquid extraction system using mesityl oxide as solvent for separating niobium from the hydrochloric-hydrofluoric medium is described, and data for distribution coefficients are included. The advantage of this system over others found in the literature lies in that it requires a low concentration of the hydrofluoric acid. (auth)