Development of a Bi/Tl separation scheme for the proof of ²⁰⁹Bi α-decay in old mineral samples

The aim of this study is the development of a separation technique for geological samples, namely bismuthinites, with the goal to isolate Tl from excess amounts of Bi. This will enable an isotopic measurement of the Tl content on the ultra-trace level to identify a possible signature of Bi α-decay. The separation of Tl from other elements like e.g. Pb has been the subject of numerous studies. However, the separation of ultra-traces of Tl from bulk Bi had not yet been investigated sufficiently. This paper describes a separation technique for the system Bi/Tl for application to ultra-trace analysis. The separation technique uses a column chromatographic system, utilizing the specific redox behavior of Tl. The results show, that Tl can be successfully separated in appearance of vast excess amounts of Bi, showing recovery rates up to 96%. The developed procedure was successfully applied for the ultra-trace analysis on a number of bimuthinites using ICP-MS. On base of the results it is discussed, which prerequisites bimuthinite samples must fulfill to be suitable for the quantification of Bi alpha decay on base of the Tl isotopic ratio. (author)