Atomic absorption determination of titanium and vanadium in uranium concentrates

Abstract

An atomic absorption procedure was developed for the determination of titanium and vanadium in medium-purity uranium products (yellow-cakes). Samples equivalent to 4g uranium were dissolved in 5.5 M nitric acid. Titanium and vanadium were separated from the uranium matrix by column extraction chromatography with the use of tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP) supported on polytrifluorochloroetylene (KeI-F)® powder. A nitrous oxide-acetylene flame was employed to estimate the concentration of the analytes in the nitric phase. The precision was about 3% relative standard deviation for both elements, with detection limits of 60 µg/g for Ti and 30 µg/g for V. The influence of AI, Fe, and PO43- on the measured absorbance values and mutual interferences effects between Ti and V were investigated.