Radiometric Analysis of Scandium

In continuation of the study on the estimation of scandium as pyrophosphate by radiometric procedure a lower limit of \(\sim\) 55\(\gamma\) has been reached using p³² a measuring indicator. As low as 0.3 mg of scandium has also been estimated using Sc⁴⁶ of high specific activity. Tervalent rare earths and yttrium, bivalent ions like Fe (II), Cd (II), Be (II) do not interfere in the estimation, whereas Fe (III), Al (III) interfere to a con­siderable extent. Pyrophosphate of scandium with two different compositions such as: ScHP₂O₂, mod Sc₄ (P₂O₇)₃ have been observed in the muse of the study. The precipitate assumes the former composition in presence of excess of pyrophosphate and the latter in presence of excess of scandium.

Scandium has been separated from a complex mineral like beryl mainly through coseparation with ceric pyrophosphate using Sc⁴⁶ as an indicator throughout the procedure. The separation procedure is very convenient and is successful even with trace amount of scandium.