Separation and preconcentration of U(VI) on XAD-4 modified with 8-hydroxy quinoline.

Amberlite XAD-4 adsorber resin was modified with 8-hydroxy quinoline (Oxine) by equilibrating with methanol solution of the reagent and the modified resin was used as a support material for the solid phase extraction and preconcentration of UO(2)(2+) from aqueous solution at pH between 4 and 5.5. Ten micrograms of uranium from 300 ml of aqueous phase could be quantitatively extracted in to 1g of the modified resin giving an enrichment of 200. Uranium collected in the column could be eluted out with methanol-HCl mixture and determined spectrophotometrically using arsenazo(III) as the chromogenic reagent. The preconcentration could be made selective to uranium by using EDTA as a masking agent for transition metal ions and Th(IV).