Selective matrix removal and ICP-OES determination of trace uranium, rare earth elements and yttrium in zircon minerals

In this paper an accurate and highly reproducible separation method for determination of trace amounts of uranium and rare earth elements (La–Lu and Y; abreviated as REEs) in the refractory zircon mineral concentrates by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES) is described. The precipitation method used for separation of zirconium is simple, selective, rapid and environmental friendly. All the 16 geochemically important analytes were determined in a single solution with marginal improvement in detection limits (1.2–4.5 times) after separation. The method was validated by analyzing certified reference materials.