Abstract
The determination of trace elements, particularly rare earth elements, in uranium ore concentrates (UOCs) is important as the pattern can be indictive ore characteristics. Presented here is a methodology for accurately quantifying rare earth elements (REE) in UOCs. To improve the measurement uncertainty, isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) was utilized over other quantification techniques such as external calibration or standard addition. The isotopic determinations were measured by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). To obtain high-fidelity isotopic measurements, separation of the REE from the uranium matrix was achieved by high-performance ion chromatography (HPIC), reducing the isobaric interferences. After separation, the target analytes were analyzed in two different modalities. For high precision analysis, the separated analytes were collected and measured by ICP-MS in an “offline” fashion. For a rapid approach, the separated analytes were sent directly into an ICP-MS for “online” analysis. These methods have been demonstrated to accurately quantify the REE content in a well-characterized UOC sample.
Highlights
Uranium is distributed at low concentrations (1–2 μg g−1 ) throughout the earth’s crust [1,2] and is commonly found in certain mineral deposits such as sandstone and quartz pebble conglomerate [1,3].Mineral deposits with elevated uranium composition containing up to 2000 μg U g−1 is commonly referred to as low-grade uranium ore
The goal of this study is to develop a methodology to separate and quantify rare earth elements (REE) present in uranium ore concentrates (UOCs) accurately and with low measurement uncertainty
For isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) measurements two isotopes of each element are needed making the separation of these interferences even more important
Summary
Uranium is distributed at low concentrations (1–2 μg g−1 ) throughout the earth’s crust [1,2] and is commonly found in certain mineral deposits such as sandstone and quartz pebble conglomerate [1,3]. Mineral deposits with elevated uranium composition containing up to 2000 μg U g−1 is commonly referred to as low-grade uranium ore. Most of the world’s supply of uranium comes from low-grade uranium mineral deposits which need to be extracted and concentrated [1]. After the uranium has been extracted, high levels of trace elements are commonly present. These trace elements can vary based on the mineral type, processing equipment, as well as chemical reagents used in the leaching process. Depending on the intended use of the uranium, impurities in the uranium ore concentrate (UOC) may be removed by precipitation and subsequent rinsing [1]
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