EVALUATION OF LONG-CHAIN DITHIOCARBAMATES AS PHOTOMETRIC REAGENTS FORTHE DETERMINATION OF TRACE AMOUNTS OF URANIUM

A highly sensitive extractive spectrophotometric method for the determ ination of U(VI) using octadecyldithiocarbamate (ODDTC) has been devel oped. The efficiency of ODDTC as a chelating agent is compared with th at of hexadecyl, tetradecyl and dodecyl dithiocarbamates. U(VI) reacts with these dithiocarbamates in ethanol to form reddish-brown water-in soluble chelates capable of being extracted into CHCl3. The molar abso rptivities range from 1.16 . 10(4) to 4.91 . 10(4) l . mol(-1). cm(-1) , the highest value being found for ODDTC. Suitable conditions for the extraction and the effect of foreign ions were investigated, The meth od can be used for the determination of trace amounts of U(VI) in wate r and sand. The results are comparable to ICP-AES method.