Trace analysis of rare earth elements and other impurities in high purity scandium by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry after liquid-liquid extraction of the matrix

Abstract

Bis(2-ethyl hexyl)-orthophosphoric acid in toluene has been used to extract scandium selectively from an aqueous phase containing nearly thirty elements at various concentrations. The trace elements (Li, Mg, Al, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Sr, Y, Cd, In, Sb, Ba, REE, Hf, Pt, Tl, Pb, Bi and u) have been determined quantitatively in the aqueous phase using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The recoveries have been quantitative for most of the analytes studied and ICP-MS has been found suitable for the determination of trace quantities of these elements in the aqueous extract. The procedure has been applied to the quantitative ultra-trace analysis of rare earth elements (REE) and other trace impurities in high purity scandium metal (4N) using ICP-MS and ID-ICP-MS techniques.