INVESTIGATION OF THE FORMS OF PHOSPHORUS IN NEUTRON-BOMBARDED PHOSPHATES: III. SUPERPHOSPHATE AND CALCIUM SULPHATE HEMIHYDRATE

Carrier-precipitation and serial molybdate precipitation procedures for the identification and estimation of chemical forms of phosphorus are presented in some detail. Application of these methods to the investigation of the forms of phosphorus-32 in superphosphate and calcium sulphate after neutron bombardment is described. The results obtained indicated that about 40% of the phosphorus-32 in the superphosphate was in the orthophosphate form and that the greater part of the remainder was present as metaphosphate and phosphite. Approximately 90% of the radioactive phosphorus present in the calcium sulphate was estimated to be in the orthophosphate form. The amount of phosphorus-32 in the superphosphate originating from the calcium sulphate component was estimated to be less than 0.2%.