Thorium Ores Research Articles

Rapid determination of thorium in ores : Estimation of trace amounts of thorium in complex minerals and ores

A very rapid method for the estimation, of trace amounts of thorium up to 0.01 per cent. or thereabouts even in complex minerals like ilmenite and columbitetantalite has been described. Thorium is collected in an acid solution with phosphates of zirconium and titanium without prior separation of silica, after decomposition of the mineral with sodium peroxide. Thorium is next collected as fluoride with lanthanum as a carrier, precipitated as thorium iodate in potassium iodate-oxalic acid mixture and finally titrated against 0.01 N sodium thiosulphate. Accurate results are obtained within a short time of two working days.

Determination of μg Amount of Thorium

Various methods of colorimetric estimation of a small amount of thorium in sea water and hot spring by use of an organic colorimetric reagentThoroneare investigated and a good result is obtained by combined use of a method of coprecipitating the thorium as hydroxide by use of alminum and that of coprecipitating the thorium as an oxalate with cadmium. The method can be applied directly for analysis of thorium in ores, but it is necessary to remove the sulfate radical since sodium acid sulfate or sulfuric acid is used in this case.

Rapid determination of thorium in ores : Separation as iodate in presence of oxalic acid

It has been shown that thorium could be precipitated quantitatively in 40% nitric acid solution as iodate, in presence of oxalic acid which complexes all those elements that interfere seriously in the usual iodate procedure. Thorium is thus freed from all the cations in a single operation from solutions containing sulphate and phosphate radicals. The method is very quick and thorium oxide in a sample of monazitc could be estimated with precision in 8–9 hours.

THE DETERMINATION OF URANIUM AND THORIUM IN ORES

The application of various physical methods to the assay of uranium and thorium in ores is discussed. It is shown how it is possible to determine their uranium and thorium content by means of simultaneous measurement of their beta and gamma activities. Simple working equations are derived which permit this determination to be carried out irrespective of the equilibrium condition of the uranium in the sample. Suitable experimental equipment is described briefly and some typical experimental results are presented.