Radiochemical technique optimization to measure uranium and thorium by α-spectrometry

A common advanced radiochemical technique is the use of the AG® 1-X8 anion exchanger, Cl^2- form (from Bio Rad), to separate uranium and/or thorium from a sample by ion exchange. This method is used to separate elements by chemical elution from an ion exchange column via a precipitate of substances (co-precipitation), with Nd³⁺ as a thin layer of smooth fluoride particles on a membrane filter, then using α-spectrometry to measure uranium and thorium. The obtained data showed that the column could be reused, at least twelve times, safely in separating uranium and thorium from environmental samples, before observing any change in the performance of the exchanger. (author)