Direct Spectrometric Determination of Dy, Eu, Gd, and Sm in High-Purity Thorium Dioxide

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Abstract
A spectrometric method is described for the direct determination of Dy, Eu, Gd, and Sm in the parts-per-million range in thorium dioxide. The method, based upon a carrier-distillation technique, utilizes silver chloride as a carrier and neodymium as an internal standard. Direct-current arc excitation in an atmosphere of 80% argon–20% oxygen prevents formation of cyanogen band spectra and thereby permits the use of sensitive lines in the regions normally obscured by cyanogen bands. The method fulfills the requirements of precision and sensitivity for specification analysis of reactor-grade thorium dioxide with a time saving of approximately 60%, as compared to conventional methods involving chemical separation.