CONTINUOUS ANION EXCHANGE CHROMATOGRAPHY FOR THE SEPARATION OF ZIRCONIUM ISOTOPES

摘要

The thermal neutron capture cross-section of zirconium may be altered by altering its natural isotope distribution through a steady state chromatographic separation of these isotopes using an anion exchange resin as the stationary phase of the chromatographic column. Zirconium is dissolved in a very strong acid which causes the formation of a zirconium anion, such as the ZrOCl4-2 anion formed in six normal hydrochloric acid, and eluted off the column with a weaker acid. Distinct elution volumes representative of each isotope are collected. In a preferred embodiment, the process also separates the zirconium from hafnium and the other impurities normally present in the product obtained by chlorinating zircon sand and utilizes a continuous annular chromatograph.