A proposed automated instrument for separation of Rare Earth Elements Strontium by ion exchange chromatography

摘要

Rubidium (Rb), Strontium (Sr), and Rare Earth Elements (REE) along with their isotopic composition have a wide range of application in studies of Earth surface and Oceanographic processes. REEs are also useful to constrain high temperature fractionation and redox conditions during planetary evolution. Similarly, the decay of long-lived radionuclide 87Rb to stable 87Sr has also been applied to the radiometric age determinations of rocks and minerals. However, these elements are not in pure form naturally and must be separated to their pure form from matrices before accurate measurements using mass spectrometric techniques because of mass interference. Although separation protocol by ion chromatography is well established, it requires significant manual efforts and time. Here, we are proposing an automated equipment to carry out such a separation procedure for Sr and REE fractions from aqueous samples. The equipment follows the separation protocol and provision of three simultaneous column separation units to increase the sample throughput. It comprises of syringe pumps, multi position valves, fraction collectors, appropriate column and integrated controlled software. Once the equipment is calibrated, it can carry out sequence of samples with minimal user intervention.