TRACE ANALYSIS OF RARE-EARTH ELEMENTS AND OTHER IMPURITIES IN HIGH-PURITY SCANDIUM BY INDUCTIVELY-COUPLED PLASMA-MASS SPECTROMETRY AFTER LIQUID-LIQUID-EXTRACTION OF THE MATRIX

Bis(2-ethyl hexyl)-orthophosphoric acid in toluene has been used to ex tract scandium selectively from an aqueous phase containing nearly thi rty elements at various concentrations. The trace elements (Li, Mg, Al , Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Sr, Y, Cd, In, Sb, Ba, REE, Hf, Pt, Tl, Pb, Bi and u) have been determined quantitatively in the aqueous phase usi ng inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The recoveri es have been quantitative for most of the analytes studied and ICP-MS has been found suitable for the determination of trace quantities of t hese elements in the aqueous extract. The procedure has been applied t o the quantitative ultra-trace analysis of rare earth elements (REE) a nd other trace impurities in high purity scandium metal (4N) using ICP -MS and ID-ICP-MS techniques.