Separation of Rare Earths From Uranium by Anion Exchange With Pre-exclusion of Loading Solution Under Pressure and Determination by ICP-MS

An intermittently pressurized anion exchange column is used for separation of trace rare earth elements (REES) from uranium before ICP-MS measurements. The whole separation can be completed within 20 min. The recoveries for all REES are in the range of 96%～106%. Comparing with previous methods, this technique consumes less chemicals and produces less waste. The applicability and reliability of this procedure is demonstrated by the good accordance between results determined by this method and the recommended values for REES in a standard reference material (GBW04207). It is proved that this method would be useful for analysis of trace REES impurities in uranium metal and its oxides.