DIRECT DETERMINATION OF GALLIUM ON POLYURETHANE FOAM BY X-RAY-FLUORESCENCE

Gallium chloride is easily extracted from 6M HCl by comminuted polyether-type polyurethane foam. After the extraction step, the gallium absorbed by the PU foam can be quantitatively determined by X-ray fluorescence. A procedure for the direct determination of gallium absorbed by PU foam by XRFS is thus described. Gallium is determined at levels as low as 60 ng/ml (C-L), with a calibration sensitivity of 424 cps.ml/mu g, within a linear range 0.1-2.30 mu g/ml. The procedure investigated was successfully applied to determination of gallium in aluminum alloys, bauxite and industrial residue samples.