Step 4.

Evaporate filtrate to 2 ml.

Add 25 ml of zine uranyl

acetate reagent (see Note 3). Allowto digest with intermittent stirring
for 4 to 5 min. Filter. Wash 5 times with small portion of sinc uranyl
acetate, Wash twice with 2 to 3 ml of ethyl alcohol (see Note 3). Use
2 to 3 ml of hot dil. HCl to wash the precipitate into a 50-mul centrifuge tube. Cool in ice bath.

Add 5 mg Ce* + 5 mg K*.

Step 5.

Then add 15 ml of zinc uranyl

acetate reagent for 15 min, Centrifuge, and discard supernatant. Wasb
precipitate 2 times with 5 a] of n-propyl alcohol. After washing, slurry

precipitate in 10 mi of n-propyl] alcohol and precipitate NaCl with BC1
gas (see Kote 4).
. Filter on a weighed filter paper disc in a small filter
tower, and wash 3 tines with 5 ml of n-propyl alcohol. Dry the precipitate
at 110°C for 10 min, weigh as NaCl, and mount on a counting disc.

4.2.1

Notes

1. Unless otherwise noted, all solutions are to be kept in an
ice bath during the entire procedure,
2. It my be necessary to repeat the centrifugation 2 to 3
times to assure complete precipitation of cesium and silica,
3. Z4dno uranyl acetate reagent was saturated with sodium zinc
uranyl acetate; n-propyl alcohol was saturated with NaCl; ethyl alcohol
was saturated with sodium sinc uranyl acetate.
filtered into a fresh container before using.

4.

A.3

These solutions were

Gas flow was continued for 10 min.

SEP.

ION

OF POT.

CT

Potassium is first separated with the alkali metal fraction obtained from 0.5N-HCl elution of the cation resin colum (see socium pro-

cedure).
(10

Purification is then accomplished by the following prccedure,.

Step

mg/ml),

1.

To 2 ml of the alkali metal fraction add 1 ml of Ca’

ml of K* (10 mg/ml) and 10 al of 6N-HCl in a 50-ml centri-

fuge tube, Add 0.5 ml of 0.13 M silicowolframic acid and allow to stand
with occasional stirring for 5 min. Centrifuge and wash precipitate
twice with 5 ml of 6N-HC1. In a 100-ml beaker combine washes with supernatant and discard precipitate. Add 2 drops of silicowolframic acid.
If precipitate forms repeat centrifugation and washes. Repeat until the

formation of a precipitate is no longer observed.

Step 2. On a hot plate evaporate solution to dryness. Cool and
then add approximately 5 ml of 10 per cent HCl solution. Break up lumps
of silica with a stirring rod.

tube and centrifuge,

HCl solution.

Transfer solution to a 50-ml centrifuge

Wash residue three times with 2 ml of 10 per cent

Svaporate combined centrifugate and washings by swirling

over a burner until the volume is approximately 3 ml, Cool for 2 min,
Step 3. Carefully add 5 ml of 70 per cent HCl0,. Evaporate by
swirling over a burner until dense fumes of HC10, are evolved, Cool for
5 min in air, then place in un ice bath,

To the cold solution add 15 ml

of absolute ethanol.
Step4. Filter on a weighed filter paper disc in a emall filter
137

Select target paragraph3