A chelating resin containing 4-(2-thiazolylazo)resorcinol as the functional group. Chromatographic application to the preconcentration and separation of some trace metal ions including uranium

Chromatographic sorption behaviour of a chelating resin containing 4-(2-thiazolylazo)resorcinol functional groups was investigated by a breakthrough experiment, and its analytical applicability to the preconcentration and separation of several metal ions including uranium(VI) was evaluated in the trace concentration range. On the mini column filled with 100 mg of the chelating resin, U(VI) and La(III) were preconcentrated with a concentration factor of 200 and then determined quantitatively by neutron activation analysis. From uranium waste solutions containing large amounts of Mg(II), Ca(II), Na(I) and carbonate ion, trace amounts of U(VI) were quantitatively sorbed on the resin column in the pH range 4.3 similar to 4.5, where formation of U(VI)-carbonate complexes is negligible, and easily recovered by eluting with 10 ml of 0.5 M HNO3. In addition, the chelating resin was successfully applied to the separation of Cu(II), Ni(II), Cd(II), Co(II), Zn(II), Pb(II), Al(III), Mn(II) and several rare earth metal ions from U(VI) by using 1 mM EDTA as an eluent. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.