Contribution to the study of rare earth separation by ion exchange, using ammonium lactate

Using the technique of chromatography on a column of Dowex 50 resin, heated to 87 deg. C, we have studied the separation of rare earths (from holmium to praseodymium) which may be produced with the cyclotron by heavy ions, α or protons. From an ammonium lactate solution M at pH 5, separations are carried out by varying the dilution as a function of the quantity of the target rare earth and of its position during elution. When weighable quantities of the rare earth (more than 5 mg) appear towards the end of the elution, the separation is little affected this case approaches that of a tracer mixture of rare earths; if on the other hand weighable quantities of the rare earth are washed through at the beginning of the chromatogram, the dilution must be adjusted in order to obtain a good separation. (author)