Polarographic behaviour and determination of uranium(VI) in alcoholic solutions from organic extraction phases

The determination of U(VI) in organic extraction phases: hydrocarbon-diethyl-2-hexyl phosphoric acid-trioctylphosphine oxide and hydrocarbon-tri-n-octylamine, diluted by an alcohol has been studied by direct current polarography, as well as by differential pulse polarography (DPP). In order to optimise the analytical procedure, miscibility and conductivity studies of the mixtures hydrocarbon-alcohol (ethanol, n- and isopropanol and n- and isobutanol) were made after addition of sulphuric acid as a supporting electrolyte. In the solutions of sulphuric acid in the alcohol-extractant-hydrocarbon phases, U(VI) gives rise to well defined polarograms. Its electroreduction involves a single electron step in all cases. The DPP peak height is proportional to the U(VI) concentration between 2 × 10−6 and 2 × 10−3 M, and the 3σ detection limit is ca. 10−6 M.