[Determination of content and specific activity of radioactive elements in phosphate slag by spectral and energy spectrum analysis].

Phosphate slag is the slag discarded after phosphate ore is smelted. The content and specific activity of radioactive elements in slag must be determined accurately for environmental protection and comprehensive utilization. This paper discusses how IR spectrum and X-ray diffraction method are used to study its components. The main phase composition is glassy slag. The samples are decomposed with HF-HNO3-HClO4. After anion-exchange separation, arsenazo III is used to determine the content of uranium and thorium in slag. The average content of U is 32.11 micrograms.g-1 and 8.5 micrograms.g-1 for Th. gamma spectrum is used to determine the specific activity of radioactive nuclear elements in it. The specific activities of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K are 112 +/- 2.0% Bq.kg-1, 18.8 +/- 6.4% Bq.kg-1 and 77.6 +/- 3.7% Bq.kg-1, respectively. The values are calculated as follow: M(Ra) = 0.6 Bq.kg-1, M gamma = 0.5 Bq.kg-1. The results show that the values are below 1.0 Bq.kg-1, which is stipulated by national GB6566-86 standard for radioactivity of building materials. The slag is therefore can be utilized to produce slag cement. This provides theoretical basis for the treatment of it.