Separation of tungsten from molybdenum by liquid-liquid extraction and extraction chromatography using thiocyanate and a quarternary ammonium salt

Methods were developed for the separation of tungsten from molybdenum by liquid-liquid extraction and extraction chromatography using thiocyanate and a quaternary ammonium salt, Zephiramine. Tungsten was extracted into chloroform as an ion associate of tungsten(V)-thiocyanate complex and Zephiramine cation was retained on a column of Teflon powder coated with Zephiramine, but molybdenum(III) was neither extracted nor retained. The extraction chromatographic method was succesfully applied to the determination of trace amounts of tungsten in molybdenum by neutron activation analysis. The γ-ray spectrum, observed with the Ge(Li) detector, of tungsten fraction separated from irradiated molybdenum are shown. The peaks of 99Mo, sup(99m)Tc, and sup(99m)Nb (produced by 92Mo(n,p)sup(99m)Nb) were seen, but these nuclides did nit interfere with the determination of tungsten using a NaI(Tl) detector. The results of the neutron activation analysis of a sample of ammonium molybdate agreed quite well with that of the spectrophotometric determination after extraction chromatographic separation. (T.G.)