Radiochemical determination of very low concentrations of nickel in rocks and minerals

A radiochemical procedure has been developed for the determination of very low concentrations of nickel in rocks and minerals. Sensitivity is 0.01 μg Ni. Accuracy and precision is estimated to be +-5 percent to levels as low as 0.1 μg Ni--a marked improvement over other analytical techniques. Samples are irradiated, combined with nickel carrier, and treated by a series of chemical procedures: (1) collection of nickel in a lead bead using a fire-assay technique, (2) refusion of the lead bead and precipitation of basic element hydroxides, (3) anion-exchange chromatography, and (4) precipitation of nickel dimethylglyoxime. The nickel precipitate is weighed to determine chemical yield and counted for β activity of 65Ni along with a precipitate from irradiated nickel standard solution. (U.S.)