A new method for chemical separation of light rare-earth elements (LREEs) using gas-pressurized extraction chromatography (GPEC) is described. GPEC is a microscale column chromatography system that features a constant flow of solvents (0.1 mL/min), which is created by pressurized nitrogen gas. The separation column with a Teflon tubing was packed with LN resin. We evaluated the separation of Ba, La, Ce, and Nd using various elution solvents. Here, we applied the natural isotopes of LREEs (La-139, Ce-140, and Nd-144) and barium (Ba-138) instead of radioactive isotopes for the preliminary test and reducing unnecessary radioactive waste. The column reproducibility of the proposed GPEC system ranged from 2.4% to 4.9% with RSDs of recoveries, and the column-to-column reproducibility ranged from 3.1% to 6.3% with RSDs of recoveries. This proposed GPEC method provides robust analysis and facilitates production of lesser chemical wastes and faster separation owing to the use of low solvent volume compared to traditional column chromatography.

• Jihye Kim(Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI)) Corresponding author
• Namuk Kim(Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI))
• Sang-Eun Bae(Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI))