Determination of antimony in ores and related materials by continuous hydride-generation atomic-absorption spectrometry after separation by xanthate extraction

A continuous hydride-generation atomic-absorption spectrometric method for determining approximately 0.02 mug/g or more of antimony in ores, concentrates, rocks, soils and sediments is described. The method involves the reduction of antimony(V) to antimony(III) by heating with hypophosphorous acid in a 4.5M hydrochloric acid-tartaric acid medium and its separation by filtration, if necessary, from any elemental arsenic, selenium and tellurium produced during the reduction step. Antimony is subsequently separated from iron, lead, zinc, tin and various other elements by a single cyclohexane extraction of its xanthate complex from approximately 4.5M hydrochloric acid/0.2M sulphuric acid in the presence of ascorbic acid as a reluctant for iron(III). After the extract is washed, if necessary, with 10% hydrochloric acid-2% thiourea solution to remove co-extracted copper, followed by 4.5M hydrochloric acid to remove residual iron and other elements, antimony(III) in the extract is oxidized to antimony(V) with bromine solution in carbon tetrachloride and stripped into dilute sulphuric acid containing tartaric acid. Following the removal of bromine by evaporation of the solution, antimony(V) is reduced to antimony(III) with potassium iodide in approximately 3M hydrochloric acid and finally determined by hydride-generation atomic-absorption spectrometry at 217.8 nm with sodium borohydride as reluctant. Interference from platinum and palladium, which are partly co-extracted as xanthates under the proposed conditions, is eliminated by complexing them with thiosemicarbazide during the iodide reduction step. Interference from gold is avoided by using a 3M hydrochloric acid medium for the hydride-generation step. Under these conditions gold forms a stable iodide complex.     

Determination of selenium in ores, concentrates and related materials by graphite-furnace atomic-absorption spectrometry after separation by extraction of the 4-nitro-o-phenylenediamine complex

A method for determining approximately 0.01 mug/g or more of selenium in ores, concentrates, rocks, soils, sediments and related materials is described. After sample decomposition selenium is reduced to selenium(IV) by heating in 4M hydrochloric acid and separated from the matrix elements by toluene extraction of its 5-nitropiazselenol complex from approximately 4.2M hydrochloric acid. After the extract has been washed with 2% nitric acid to remove residual iron, copper and chloride, the selenium in the extract is oxidized to selenium(VI) with 20% bromine solution in cyclohexane and stripped into water. This solution is evaporated to dryness in the presence of nickel, and selenium is ultimately determined in a 2% v/v nitric acid medium by graphite-furnace atomic-absorption spectrometry at 196.0 nm with the nickel functioning as matrix modifier. Common ions, including large amounts of iron, copper and lead, do not interfere. More than 1 mg of vanadium(V) and 0.25 mg each of platinum(IV), palladium(II), and gold(III) causes high results for selenium, and more than 1 mg of tungsten(VI) and 2 mg of molybdenum(VI) causes low results. Interference from chromium(VI) is eliminated by reducing it to chromium(III) with hydroxylamine hydrochloride before the formation of the selenium complex.     

Determination of trace and ultra-trace amounts of noble metals in geological and related materials by graphite-furnace atomic-absorption spectrometry after separation by ion-exchange or co-precipitation with tellurium

Two methods for determining mug/g and ng/g levels of the noble metals, except for osmium, in ores, concentrates, mattes, and silicate and iron-formation rocks are described. After sample decomposition with hydrofluoric acid and aqua regia, followed by fusion of any insoluble residue with sodium peroxide, the noble metals are separated from the matrix elements by either cation-exchange or co-precipitation with tellurium. The resulting eluate, or the solution obtained after dissolution of the tellurium precipitate, is evaporated to dryness and the noble metals are ultimately determined in a 1M hydrochloric acid medium by graphite-furnace atomic-absorption spectrometry. The ion-exchange method is recommended for the determination of mug/g levels of gold, silver and platinum-group elements, whilst the tellurium co-precipitation method is recommended for ng/g levels of platinum-group elements. The latter method is not recommended for the determination of ng/g levels of silver and gold in rocks, because of interference from tellurium during atomization in the furnace. Results obtained by these methods for 15 international reference samples, including four Canadian iron-formation rocks, are compared with other published data.     

Determination of cobalt, nickel, lead, bismuth and indium in ores, soils and related materials by atomic-absorption spectrometry after separation by xanthate extraction

A method for determining approximately 0.5, mug/g or more of cobalt, nickel and lead and approximately 3 mug/g or more of bismuth and indium in ores, soils and related materials is described. After sample decomposition and dissolution of the salts in dilute hydrochloric-tartaric acid solution, iron(III) is reduced with ascorbic acid and the resultant iron(II) is complexed with ammonium fluoride. Cobalt, nickel, lead, bismuth and indium are subsequently separated from iron, aluminium, zinc and other matrix elements by a triple chloroform extraction of their xanthate complexes at pH 2.00 +/- 0.05. After the removal of chloroform by evaporation and the destruction of the xanthates with nitric and perchloric acids, the solution is evaporated to dryness and the individual elements are ultimately determined in a 20% v/v hydrochloric acid medium containing 1000 mug/ml potassium by atomic-absorption spectrometry with an air-acetylene flame. Co-extraction of arsenic and antimony is avoided by volatilizing them as the bromides during the decomposition step. Small amounts of co-extracted molybdenum, iron and copper do not interfere.     

Determination of arsenic in ores, concentrates and related materials by continuous hydride-generation atomic-absorption spectrometry after separation by xanthate extraction

A recent graphite-furnace atomic-absorption method for determining approximately 0.2 mug/g or more of arsenic in ores, concentrates, rocks, soils and sediments, after separation from matrix elements by cyclohexane extraction of arsenic(III) xanthate from approximately 8-10M hydrochloric acid, has been modified to include an alternative hydride-generation atomic-absorption finish. After the extract has been washed with 10M hydrochloric acid-2% thiourea solution to remove co-extracted copper and residual iron, arsenic(III) in the extract is oxidized to arsenic(V) with bromine solution in carbon tetrachloride and stripped into water. Following the removal of bromine by evaporation of the solution, arsenic is reduced to arsenic(III) with potassium iodide in approximately 4M hydrochloric acid and ultimately determined to hydride-generation atomic-absorption spectrometry at 193.7 nm, with sodium borohydride as reductant. Interference from gold, platinum and palladium, which are partly co-extracted as xanthates under the proposed conditions, is eliminated by complexing them with thiosemicarbazide before the iodide reduction step. The detection limits for ores and related materials is approximately 0.1 mug of arsenic per g. Results obtained by this method are compared with those obtained previously by the graphite-furnace method.     

Determination of silver, antimony, bismuth, copper, cadmium and indium in ores, concentrates and related materials by atomic-absorption spectrophotometry after methyl isobutyl ketone extraction as iodides

Methods for determining ~ 0.2 mug g or more of silver and cadmium, ~ 0.5 mug g or more of copper and ~ 5 mug g or more of antimony, bismuth and indium in ores, concentrates and related materials are described. After sample decomposition and recovery of antimony and bismuth retained by lead and calcium sulphates, by co-precipitation with hydrous ferric oxide at pH 6.20 +/- 0.05, iron(III) is reduced to iron(II) with ascorbic acid, and antimony, bismuth, copper, cadmium and indium are separated from the remaining matrix elements by a single methyl isobutyl ketone extraction of their iodides from ~2M sulphuric acid-0.1M potassium iodide. The extract is washed with a sulphuric acid-potassium iodide solution of the same composition to remove residual iron and co-extracted zinc, and the extracted elements are stripped from the extract with 20% v v nitric acid-20% v v hydrogen peroxide. Alternatively, after the removal of lead sulphate by filtration, silver, copper, cadmium and indium can be extracted under the same conditions and stripped with 40% v v nitric acid-25% v v hydrochloric acid. The strip solutions are treated with sulphuric and perchloric acids and ultimately evaporated to dry ness. The individual elements are determined in a 24% v v hydrochloric acid medium containing 1000 mug of potassium per ml by atomic-absorption spectrophotometry with an air-acetylene flame. Tin, arsenic and molybdenum are not co-extracted under the conditions above. Results obtained for silver, antimony, bismuth and indium in some Canadian certified reference materials by these methods are compared with those obtained earlier by previously published methods.     

Determination of antimony in concentrates, ores and non-ferrous materials by atomic-absorption spectrophotometry after iron-lanthanum collection, or by the iodide method after further xanthate extraction

Methods for determining trace and moderate amounts of antimony in copper, nickel, molybdenum, lead and zinc concentrates and in ores are described. Following sample decomposition, antimony is oxidized to antimony(V) with aqua regia, then reduced to antimony(III) with sodium metabisulphite in 6M hydrochloric acid medium and separated from most of the matrix elements by co-precipitation with hydrous ferric and lanthanum oxides. Antimony (>/= 100 mug/g) can subsequently be determined by atomic-absorption spectrophotometry, at 217.6 nm after dissolution of the precipitate in 3M hydrochloric acid. Alternatively, for the determination of antimony at levels of 1 mug/g or more, the precipitate is dissolved in 5M hydrochloric acid containing stannous chloride as a reluctant for iron(III) and thiourea as a complexing agent for copper. Then tin is complexed with hydrofluoric acid, and antimony is separated from iron, tin, lead and other co-precipitated elements, including lanthanum, by chloroform extraction of its xanthate. It is then determined spectrophotometrically, at 331 or 425 nm as the iodide. Interference from co-extracted bismuth is eliminated by washing the extract with hydrochloric acid of the same acid concentration as the medium used for extraction. Interference from co-extracted molybdenum, which causes high results at 331 nm, is avoided by measuring the absorbance at 425 nm. The proposed methods are also applicable to high-purity copper metal and copper- and lead-base alloys. In the spectrophotometric iodide method, the importance of the preliminary oxidation of all of the antimony to antimony(V), to avoid the formation of an unreactive species, is shown.     

Determination of arsenic in ores, concentrates and related materials by graphite-furnace atomic-absorption spectrometry after separation by xanthate extraction

A method for determining approximately 0.2 mug/g or more of arsenic in ores, concentrates and related materials is described. After sample decomposition arsenic(V) is reduced to arsenic(III) with titanium(III) and separated from iron, lead, zinc, copper, uranium, tin, antimony, bismuth and other elements by cyclohexane extraction of its xanthate complex from approximately 8-10M hydrochloric acid. After washing with 10M hydrochloric acid-2% thiourea solution to remove residual iron and co-extracted copper, followed by water to remove chloride, arsenic is stripped from the extract with 16M nitric acid and ultimately determined in a 2% nitric acid medium by graphite-furnace atomic-absorption spectrometry, at 193.7 nm, in the presence of thiourea (which eliminates interference from sulphate) and palladium as matrix modifiers. Small amounts of gold, platinum and palladium, which are partly co-extracted as xanthates under the proposed conditions, do not interfere.     

Spectrophotometric determination of arsenic in concentrates and copper-base alloys by the molybdenum blue method after separations by iron collection and xanthate extraction

A method for determining 0.0001-1% of arsenic in copper, nickel, molybdenum, lead and zinc concentrates is described. After sample decomposition, arsenic is separated from most of the matrix elements by co-precipitation with hydrous ferric oxide from an ammoniacal medium. Following reprecipitation of arsenic and iron, the precipitate is dissolved in approximately 2 M hydrochloric acid and the solution is evaporated to a small volume to remove water. Arsenic(V) is reduced to the tervalent state with iron(II) and separated from iron, lead and other co-precipitated elements by chloroform extraction of its xanthate from an 11M hydrochloric acid medium. After oxidation of arsenic(III) in the extract to arsenic(V) with bromine-carbon tetrachloride solution, it is back-extracted into water and determined by the molybdenum blue method. Small amounts of iron, copper and molybdenum, which are co-extracted as xanthates, and antimony, which is co-extracted to a slight extent as the chloro-complex under the proposed conditions, do not interfere. The proposed method is also applicable to copper-base alloys.     

Spectrophotometric determination of tellurium in concentrates and brasses by chloroform extraction of the tellurium (IV) hexabromide-diantipyrylmethane complex after separations by iron collection and xanthate extraction

A method for determining 0.0001–0.10% of tellurium in copper, nickel, molybdenum, lead and zinc concentrates is described. After sample decomposition, tellurium is separated from most of the matrix elements by co-precipitation with hydrous ferric oxide from an ammoniacal medium. After reprecipitation of tellurium and iron, the precipitate is dissolved in 12M hydrochloric acid, tellurium(VI) is reduced to the quadrivalent state by heating, and separated from iron, lead and other co-precipitated elements by chloroform extraction of its xanthate. The yellow ion-association complex formed between tellurium(IV) hexabromide and diantipyrylmethane is extracted into chloroform from a 2M sulphuric acid-0.6M potassium bromide medium. The molar absorptivity of the complex is 1.82 × 10³ l.mole⁻¹.mm⁻¹ at 336 nm, the wavelength of maximum absorption. Small amounts of iron, copper and molybdenum are co-extracted as xanthates under the proposed conditions but do not cause error in the result. Interference from antimony, which is co-extracted as the chloro-complex, is eliminated by washing the extract with water. The proposed method is also applicable to brasses.     

Determination of antimony in rocks and sulphide ores by flame and electrothermal atomic-absorption spectrometry

Atomic-absorption methods for determination of antimony at mug/g levels in rocks and sulphide ores by flame atomization (FAA) and electrothermal atomization (ETAA) have been described. The FAA method involves the separation of antimony from matrix elements by extraction as the iodide into methyl isobutyl ketone containing tri-n-octylphosphine oxide, from dilute hydrochloric acid solution, followed by direct aspiration of the extract into an air-acetylene flame. If necessary, antimony is first separated from copper and lead by co-precipitation with hydrous ferric oxide from ammoniacal medium and by precipitation of lead as lead sulphate. The ETAA method involves co-precipitation of antimony with hydrous ferric oxide followed by dissolution of the precipitate in dilute nitric acid, mixing with nickel solution as releasing agent, and ETAA measurement by use of a tungsten strip atomizer.     

Spectrophotometric determination of germanium in ores, concentrates, zinc-processing products and related materials with phenylfluorone and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide after separation by iron collection and heptane extraction of germanium tetrachloride

A method for determining approximately 0.2 microg/g or more of germanium in ores, concentrates, zinc-processing products and related materials is described. The sample is decomposed by fusion with sodium peroxide and the cooled melt is dissolved in dilute sulphuric acid. Silica, if > 50 mg, is removed by volatilization with hydrofluoric acid. Germanium is separated from sodium salts by co-precipitation with hydrous ferric oxide, the precipitate is dissolved in 3M hydrochloric acid and germanium is subsequently separated from iron(III) and other co-precipitated elements by a single heptane extraction of germanium tetrachloride from approximately 9.4M hydrochloric acid. The extract is washed with 12M hydrochloric acid to remove residual iron(III), then germanium is stripped with water and determined spectrophotometrically with phenylfluorone in a 1.4M hydrochloric acid-0.002M cetyltrimethylammonium bromide medium in the presence of ascorbic acid as a reductant for co-extracted chlorine. The apparent molar absorptivity of the complex is 1.71 x 10(4) l.mole(-1).mm(-1) at 507 nm, the wavelength of maximum absorption. Up to 5 mg of tin(IV), 10 mg of antimony(V) and tungsten(VI) and approximately 50 mg of silica do not interfere. Germanium values are given for some Canadian certified reference ores, concentrates and iron-formation samples and for a metallurgical dust.     

Improved separation of iron from copper and other elements by anion-exchange chromatography on a 4% cross-linked resin with high concentrations of hydrochloric acid

Iron(III) can be separated from copper(II) and many other elements by eluting these from a column of AG1-X4 anion-exchange resin with 8M hydrochloric acid, while iron(III) is retained and can be eluted with 0.1M hydrochloric acid. The separation is much better than the customary one with 3.5M hydrochloric acid. Columns containing only 8.8 ml (3 g) of resin can separate traces or up to more than 1 mmole of iron(III) from more than 1 g of copper. Mn(II), Ni, Al, Mg and Ca are quantitatively eluted together with copper(II). Lead, the alkali metals, Be, Sr, Ba, Ra, Sc, Y and the lanthanides, Ti(IV), Zr, Hf, Th and Cr(III) have not been investigated in detail but should be separated according to their known distribution coefficients. Separations are sharp and quantitative, less than 1 mug of copper remaining in the iron fraction when more than 1 g was present originally. Relevant elution curves and results of the quantitative analysis of synthetic mixtures are presented.     

重铬酸钾滴定法测定废杂铜中的铁含量

研究了废杂铜中铁含量的测定方法。试料采用盐酸、硝酸、高氯酸溶解,加入过量氨水生成氢氧化铁沉淀与铜、铬等干扰元素分离,沉淀用热盐酸溶解后,用氯化亚锡还原至溶液呈浅黄色,重铬酸钾滴定法测定铁含量。探讨了溶样方式、氯化铵用量、氨水过量的体积、硫磷混酸用量对测定结果的影响。对4个废杂铜样品中的铁含量进行测定,测定结果的相对标准偏差RSD(n=11)为0.38%～0.95%,加标回收率为99.4%～100%,方法准确可靠,能够满足测定要求。     

Extraction of copper(II) with the APCD/DIBK system from concentrated hydrochloric and nitric acid media: estimation of true limit of acidity for the extraction

The extraction of copper(II) from strongly acidic solution (0.01-8M hydrochloric and 0.01-5M nitric acid) with ammonium 1-pyrrolidinecarbodithioate in di-isobutyl ketone has been studied. Compared with the hydrochloric acid system, a considerably larger amount of the reagent is needed for complete extraction of copper chelate from nitric acid solution as the extract is more unstable in the nitric acid system. The decomposition of copper chelates extracted from nitric acid is based on the oxidation of the reagent and the chelate; the spectral change of the extract from nitric acid suggests that the copper(II) chelate is initially oxidized to copper(II) and then decomposes. The upper limit of the acidity of both acids from which the copper chelate can be quantitatively extracted strongly depends on the reagent concentration; the limit with 8 x 10(-2)M APCD (500-fold reagent: metal molar ratio) was taken as 8 and 4M for hydrochloric and nitric acid, respectively.     

电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱法测定纯银中镉、铋、铁、铅、锑、钯、硒、碲

样品用硝酸溶解,加入过量盐酸沉淀分离银,过滤后利用电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱法测定镉、铋、铁、铅、锑、钯、硒、碲,方法检出限分别为:0.0028,0.0075,0.0036,0.011,0.010,0.021,0.0075,0.0039μg/mL;加标回收率为98.1%～114.3%;RSD小于4.2%,方法能同时准确测定镉、铋、铁、铅、锑、钯、硒、碲,满足日常分析要求。     

Determination of molybdenum in ores, iron and steel by atomic-absorption spectrophotometry after separation by alpha-benzoinoxime extraction or further xanthate extraction

A simple and moderately rapid method for determining 0.001% or more of molybdenum in ores, iron and steel is described. After sample decomposition, molybdenum is separated from the matrix elements, except tungsten, by chloroform extraction of its alpha-benzoinoxime complex from a 1.75 M hydrochloric-0.13 M tartaric acid medium. Depending on the amount of tungsten present, molybdenum, if necessary, is back-extracted into concentrated ammonia solution and subsequently separated from coextracted tungsten by chloroform extraction of its xanthate complex from a 1.5M hydrochloric-0.13M tartaric acid medium. It is ultimately determined by atomic-absorption spectrophotometry, at 313.3 nm, in a 15% v/v hydrochloric acid medium containing 1,000 microg/ml of aluminium as the chloride, after evaporation of either extract to dryness with nitric, perchloric and sulphuric acids and dissolution of the salts in dilute ammonia solution.     

The determination of stable scandium in plants,animals, sediments,sands, soils,rocks and minerals by neutron-activation analysis

A method is described for the determination of stable scandium in samples of plants, animals, sediments, soils, rocks and minerals. The samples and comparator standards were irradiated in a neutron flux of 5·10¹² n/cm²/sec for 4 h and dissolved and the scandium quantitatively precipitated from 2N nitric acid as scandium phytate; contaminants were rinsed from the precipitate with nitric and hydrochloric acids. The limit of detection was 0.005μg(±10% at the 95% confidence level). The activated ⁴⁶Sc was counted by γ-spectrometry.     

EDTA滴定法测定除尘灰中锌含量

采用灰化后再溶解试样的方法,成功解决了除尘灰因碳含量过高而难于溶解的问题;将灰化后的试样以HCl-HNO3-HF-HClO4混酸溶解,在氯酸钾存在下,以铁盐作载体,用氨水沉淀分离大部分铁、铝、铅等元素,以硫脲-氟化物、硫代硫酸钠、抗坏血酸作掩蔽剂,掩蔽剩余少量铜、锡、铁等干扰元素,在pH=5.5~6条件下,以二甲酚橙为指示剂,用EDTA标准溶液滴定得到锌的含量。方法的相对标准偏差在0.75%~2.8%,加标回收率在98.0%~102%。方法操作简便,且分析结果准确度、重现性较好,可以满足生产检验的需要。     

Spectrophotometric determination of bismuth in copper and cartridge brass by the iodide method

An improved spectrophotometric method is proposed for the determination with iodide of trace amounts of bismuth in copper and cartridge brass. The sample is dissolved in nitric acid and the bismuth is separated from the copper by an ammoniacal precipitation in the presence of iron(III) hydroxide as a gathering agent. The hydroxide precipitate is dissolved in hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid is added, the solution is evaporated to a few ml, hydrobromic acid is added to volatilize the antimony and tin, and the solution is evaporated to fumes of sulfuric acid. The bismuth iodide color is then developed with a composite potassium iodide—sodium hypophosphite reagent. Factors affecting the bismuth iodide color are investigated.