Analysis of Niobium–Rare-Earth Ores by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

To determine the composition of niobium–rare-earth ores by atomic emission spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, two procedures are developed for sample preparation based on autoclave decomposition and flux fusion. Autoclave decomposition is carried out in a mixture of HF and HNO₃ at a temperature of up to 220°C and a pressure of up to 160 atm using a developed system with resistive heating. Subsequent evaporation to dry salts ensures the removal of F^– ions and silicon as SiF₄. The residue is dissolved in a mixture of HCl and H₂O₂ at 160°C under elevated pressure. The resulting solutions (10% with respect to HCl with the addition of H₂O₂) are diluted before measurements. The dissolution process is monitored for each sample using stable highly enriched isotopes of ⁹¹Zr, ¹⁰⁰Mo, ¹⁴⁹Sm, and ¹⁷⁸Hf. The second procedure is based on fusing samples with a mixture of Na₂CO₃ and Na₂B₄O₇ at 1050°C in a muffle furnace and dissolving the resulting melt in a mixture of HCl and H₂O₂. The procedures were tested using the national (NFS-23) and foreign standard samples of composition (OREAS-462, 463, 464, 465, Australia) and real samples of niobium–rare-earth ores.     

Colorimetric determination of niobium in titanium alloys

There is need for a method for the determination of niobium in titanium alloys, since niobium-titanium alloys are becoming increasingly important. The determination of niobium in this type of alloy is an extremely difficult matter. Many approaches were tried before the problem was solved. In the method proposed in this paper the sample is dissolved in a mixture of hydrofluoric and nitric acids, the solution evaporated to a small volume, and boric acid added. Two tannic acid separations are then made to separate the niobium from the bulk of the titanium. The niobium, is determined colorimetrically by the thiocyanate method using a water-acetone medium. A study was made of the possible interference of elements that might be present in titanium alloys. It was found that the presence of tantalum causes two opposing tendencies. Tantalum can cause high results for niobium because it forms a complex with thiocyanate which is visually colorless but shows some absorption. Tantalum can cause low results for niobium by hindering the development of the niobium color. The resultant effect of the tantalum depends upon the amount of tantalum present, the amount of niobium present and the ratio of tantalum to niobium. The presence of more than one per cent. tungsten can lead to high results for niobium. Other elements that might be present in titanium alloys do not interfere with the method. The procedure is designed for titanium alloys containing 0.05 to 10 per cent. niobium. The method is reasonably rapid. Six determinations can be finished in two days. The method should be applicable to many other materials besides titanium alloys.     

Spontaneous passivity of amorphous bulk Ni–Cr–Ta–Mo–Nb–P alloys in concentrated hydrochloric acids

Rod-shaped amorphous bulk Ni–Cr–Mo-22 at.%Ta-14 at.%Nb–P alloys resistant to concentrated hydrochloric acids were prepared by copper-mold casting. Alloys of amorphous single phase and mixture of nanocrystalline phases in the amorphous matrix were all spontaneously passive in 6 and 12 M HCl and were immune to corrosion in 6 M HCl, although the corrosion weight loss was detected for heterogeneous alloys in 12 M HCl. Spontaneous passivation is due to presence of stable air-formed films in which chromium was particularly concentrated in addition to enrichment of tantalum and niobium. The angle resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that chromium and molybdenum are rich in the inner part of the film. The major molybdenum species is in the tetravalent state, although penta- and hexavalent state molybdenum is also included. The high corrosion resistance was interpreted in terms of the high stability of the outer triple oxyhydroxide, Cr_1−x−yTa_xNb_yO_z(OH)_3+2x+2y−2z, and the effective diffusion barrier of the inner Mo⁴⁺ and Cr³⁺ oxide layer. Contribution to the Fall Meeting of the European Materials Research Society, Symposium D: 9th International Symposium on Electrochemical/Chemical Reactivity of Metastable Materials, Warsaw, 17th-21st September, 2007.     

Effect of Phase Composition on Sulfuric Acid Leaching of Tantalum-containing Alloys

Phase composition of iron-based tantalum-niobium alloys (Ta 2-5, Nb 3-6, Si up to 12, C 1.4-2.4%) was studied. The kinetics of leaching of ferroalloys with H₂SO₄ aqueous solutions and with mixtures of sulfuric and hydrofluoric acids was considered. The conditions of hydrochemical treatment of the alloys, which make it possible to concentrate niobium and tantalum in the solid residue through dissolution of up to 94% of Fe, 90% of Mn, and 70% of Si, were found.     

Dissolution of Al-Fe materials and analysis by inductively coupled plasma – atomic emission spectrometry

A technique was developed for the dissolution of Al-Fe materials containing difficult to dissolve Al₂O₃. The developed procedure uses HCl and HNO₃ for initial sample attack followed by digestion with a mixture of H₃PO₄ and H₂SO₄ at 200?°C. This procedure was employe to dissolve Al-Fe material samples before the determination of Al and Fe. Minor and trace elements (B, Cr, Cu, Mo, Si, Zr) were determined after dissolution in HCl and HNO₃. Results of a round robin study verified the procedure accuracy. The developed methods have the required accuracy and precision to be used as a quality control procedure for Al-Fe materials analysis.     

Comparison of an instrumental and modified Kjeldahl technique for determination of nitrogen in niobium and tantalum alloys

Results obtained for the determination of nitrogen in two tantalum alloys and six niobium alloys by modified Kjeldahl and Leco TC-30 nitrogen—oxygen determinator are compared. In the 5–25 ppm range, for tantalum alloys, the relative standard deviation was 3–9% by the Kjeldahl procedure and 9–11% by the instrumental technique. In the range 30–80 ppm, for niobium alloys, the relative standard deviation was 2–8% by the Kjeldahl procedure and 5–7% by the instrumental technique.     

Statistical mixture design development of digestion methods for Oyster tissue using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry for the determination of metallic ions

The quantitative determination of chemical elements in organic or biological samples is an important analytical problem. Normally the elements to be determined in the organic matrix must be transformed into a simple inorganic form. A digestion method by heating on a block digestor has been developed for the determination of Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, V and Zn in Oyster tissue by ICP OES. A simplex centroid statistical mixture design has been used to study the effects of changing HNO₃, HCl and H₂O₂ reagent proportions on the digestion of these samples. Response surface and principal component analyses show that the species Ca, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn and Zn have very similar analytical tendencies under this experiment. By means of mixture modeling maximum recoveries for these ions were predicted using 19%, 18% and 63% of the HCl, HNO₃ and H₂O₂ pseudocomponent mixtures, respectively. This corresponds to 21.4%, 30.8% and 47.8% of the HCl, HNO₃ and H₂O₂ commercial solutions. Furthermore the As, Co and V ions present large recoveries for these mixtures as well. The Al and Ba ion recoveries are seen to be independent of the mixture proportions. The analysis of Oyster tissue reference material (SRM 1566b - NIST) under optimized conditions at the selected wavelengths resulted in ion recoveries between 90% and 100%.     

Gold-vanadium-niobium catalysts in environmental protection—adsorption and interaction of NO, C3H6 and O2—FT-IR study

FT-IR study of NO and C₃H₆ adsorption, co-adsorption and interaction in the presence of oxygen were performed in order to estimate the catalytic behaviour of Au and V-containing MCM-41 materials in NO-SCR with propene. MCM-41 were modified with gold, vanadium and niobium by their introduction during the synthesis (co-precipitation) carried out with the use of HCl or H₂SO₄ as pH adjustment agent. The texture/structure properties of the prepared samples were investigated by N₂ adsorption, XRD, XPS and TEM techniques. It has been found that the nature of acid used for the pH adjustment during the synthesis determines the gold particles size and dispersion and influences the interaction of NO+O₂+C₃H₆ with the catalyst surfaces. In both types of AuVMCM-41 catalysts, the SCR reaction route occurs via NO₂ formation. In the case of AuVMCM-41(HCl) and AuVNbMCM-41(HCl) nitrites are formed and stored, and upon heating NO₂ is released. These kinds of nitrites are not formed on AuVMCM-41(H₂SO₄) and AuVNbMCM-41(H₂SO₄). Instead of that NO₂ is chemisorbed on metallic gold, niobium and vanadium species and reacts with propene and/or oxygenates.     

Dissolution of Al-Fe materials and analysis by inductively coupled plasma – atomic emission spectrometry

A technique was developed for the dissolution of Al-Fe materials containing difficult to dissolve Al₂O₃. The developed procedure uses HCl and HNO₃ for initial sample attack followed by digestion with a mixture of H₃PO₄ and H₂SO₄ at 200 °C. This procedure was employe to dissolve Al-Fe material samples before the determination of Al and Fe. Minor and trace elements (B, Cr, Cu, Mo, Si, Zr) were determined after dissolution in HCl and HNO₃. Results of a round robin study verified the procedure accuracy. The developed methods have the required accuracy and precision to be used as a quality control procedure for Al-Fe materials analysis. Received: 9 February 1998 / Revised: 1 April 1998 / Accepted: 4 April 1998     

Tracer scale solvent extraction separation of tantalum from niobium using di-(2-ethylhexyl)-phosphoric acid as extractant

A simple solvent extraction procedure for the efficient separation of the radioactive tracers⁹⁵Nb and¹⁸²Ta from each other in a mixture using di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (HDEHP) as extractant is described. Tantalum was found to be quantitatively extracted from an aqueous madium, which is 1.6N in HCl and 10^?2 M in oxalic acid, with a HDEHP solution of 0.1 M concentration. Extractabilities of both niobium and tantalum in mineral acids like HCl, H₂SO₄ and HNO₃ and in some organic acids like oxalic, citric, etc., in HDEHP under the experimental conditions were also studied. The reliability of the separation procedure was verified further by γ-ray spectrometry.     

Separation of niobium and tantalum with cupferron

An attempt to separate niobium and tantalum by cupfcrron was only moderately successful at pH 4.5 to 5.5 in the presence of a magnesia mixture as a coagulating agent. A more satisfactory separation of niobium and tantalum from each other, tried out up to ratios of 30:1 and 1.30, is effected with Sn⁺² or Sn⁺⁴ as a co-precipitating agent under the conditions described niobium can be separated, in the presence of complexone III, from almost all the ions except U, Be, Ti and PO₄^-3. Iron and other tervalent elements, when present in 100 fold excess with respect to niobium, require double precipitation The method gives highly satisfactory results when applied to the analysis of niobium in niobium-molybdenum stainless steel.The use of titanium as a co-precipitant is less successful than that of tin     

Niobium,tantalum, and titanium fluoride solutions

Parameters for the preparation of concentrated tantalum, niobium, and titanium fluoride solutions by dissolution of their oxides or hydroxides in hydrofluoric acid were studied. Anatase titania, niobium oxide, and tantalum oxide calcined to 900°C were found to have high dissolution rates. Solid phases separated upon the dissolution of niobium, tantalum, and titanium oxides in hydrofluoric acid were identified as NbO₂F, TaO₂F, Ta₃O₇F, and TiOF₂. Niobium hydroxide dissolution in an autoclave at the atmospheric pressure gave various complex salts: NH₄NbOF₄ and (NH₄)₃Nb₂OF₁₁.     

Identification of phosphate anions in niobium and tantalum phosphates by means of infra-red spectra

Some niobium and tantalum phosphates have been prepared and their infra-red spectra have been recorded and compared with those of reference substances. It has been possible to identify P0₄^-3, P₂O₇^-4 and possibly P₃O10^-5 groups in different samples of niobium and tantalum phosphates.     

1-(o-Carboxyphenyl)-3-hydroxy-3-phenyltriazene,a new reagent for the direct gravimetric determination of titanium(IV)

A direct gravimetric method for the determination of titanium with a new reagent, 1-(o-carboxyphenyl)-3-hydroxy-3-phenyltriazene, is proposed. The titanium is precipitated at the pH range 2.0–5.0 and weighed as TiO(C₁₃H₁₀N₃O₃)₂ after drying at 115–120°. In the presence of EDTA, only niobium and tantalum interfere.     

Differential Pulse Polarographic Determination of Gallium and Niobium in Samples After Preconcentration of Their Quinolin-8-Olate Complexes on Microcrystalline Naphthalene

Abstract

Gallium and niobium react with quinolin-8-ol to form water insoluble complexes which are quantitatively adsorbed on microcrystalline naphthalene from the large volume of their aqueous solutions in the pH range of 3.5 - 8.2 and 6.2 - 9.4, respectively. After filtration, the metal complexes were desorbed with 10 ml of HCl (1M for Ga and 11 M for Nb) and determined by using a differential pulse polarograph (DPP). The dissolved oxygen is removed by adding a few milliliters of 4% NaBH₄ solution in the case of gallium. The detection limits are 0.04 ppm for gallium and 0.05 ppm for niobium at the minimum instrumental settings (signal to noise ratio = 2). The linearities are maintained in the concentration range 0.1 - 5.0 ppm for gallium and 0.4 - 6.0 ppm for niobium with correlation factors of 0.9997 and 0.9996 and relative standard deviations of 0.81 and 0.95%, respectively.

Characterization of the electroactive process included an examination of the degree of reversibility. Various parameters such as the effect of pH volume of aqueous phase, reagent and naphthalene concentrations and the interference of a large number of anions and cations on the estimation of these elements were studied in detail. The method is found to be highly selective, fairly sensitive, rapid, simple and economical. It has been applied for the trace determination of gallium and niobium in various standard alloys and may be applied safely for the analyses of complex materials like environmental samples and ores.

     

Separation of niobium and tantalum with phenylarsonic acid

Phenylarsonic acid permits satisfactory separation of niobium and tantalum and estimation of tantalum from an oxalate solution containing sulphuric acid up to pH 5.8. For complete precipitation of niobium the pH should exceed 4.8. In mixtures, tantalum is precipitated below pH 3.0 and niobium is then precipitated above pH 5.0. When the oxalate concentration is high, recovery of niobium with cupferron is recommended. When the ratio of Nb₂O₅, to Ta₂O₅ exceeds 2:1, reprecipitation of tantalum is necessary. The effect of interfering ions is studied.     

Composés d'addition des halogénures de niobium(V) et de tantale(V). V. Stabilité relative des composés des chlorures avec quelques oxydes et sulfures organiques

The adducts of niobium(V) and tantalum(V) chlorides with some aliphatic and cyclic oxides and sulfides, studied by NMR. spectroscopy in CHCl₃, are found to have 1:1 stoechiometry, at room temperature and lower. In the thioxane complex TaCl₅ · C₄H₈OS two species are present with the ligand coordinated by the sulfur atom or by the oxygen atom, respectively, in a proportion which has been determined. The thioxane adduct of niobium(V) chloride, however, is preferentially coordinated by the sulfur atom. There is also evidence for the species 2MCl₅ · C₄H₈OS. The relative basicity of each donor atom in dioxane, thioxane and dithiane is calculated and discussed. In contrast to the nitrile adducts, whose stability was found earlier to be controlled by inductive factors, the steric factors are more important for the ether and sulfide adducts: MCl₅ · Me₂X is more stable than the corresponding MCl₅ · Et₂X (M = Nb, Ta; X = O, S). Both niobium(V) and tantalum(V) chlorides have a soft behaviour, but NbCl₅ is a weaker Lewis acid than TaCl₅ and shows also a softer behaviour.     

The separation and determination of niobium and tantalum by partition chromatography

A procedure is outlined for the separation and determination of niobium and tantalum by paper chromatography. A mixture of methyl isobutyl ketone and hydrofluoric acid was used as solvent and the metals were detected by means of 8-hydroxyquinoline. The minimum amount of each element detectable is 20 μg.

The procedure was applied successfully to the quantitative determination of small amounts of niobium and tantalum in a steel.     

A contribution to the study of matrix effects in the analysis of solid samples by D. C. glow discharge mass spectrometry

Relative Sensitivity Factors (RSF) for the analysis of 22 elements by glow discharge mass spectrometry have been determined from the multiple determination of 19 reference materials representing steels, Ni-based heat resisting alloys, copper, aluminium, molybdenum and indium by using an Ar/0.2 vol. % H₂ mixture as a filler gas. The measurements were made by using the VG 9000 glow discharge mass spectrometer. For all the materials analyzed, the relative variations of these factors were reduced by more than a factor of 2 when the Ar/H₂ mixture was substituted to the pure argon. In addition, the proposed technique greatly decreases the matrix effects, thus allowing the determination of the elemental composition of metallic samples without needing to use standard reference materials.     

Criteria for selecting analytical wavelengths for multicomponent mixtures by the CPA matrix method and simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of niobium and tantalum

The reversed matrix representation of the Lambert-Beer law (CPA matrix method) is applied in simultaneous spectrophotometric determinations. Restrictions on the selection of analytical wavelengths in applying the CPA matrix method are investigated experimentally and theoretically. Four criteria for selecting suitable wavelengths are described. A spectrophotometric procedure for niobium and tantalum with salicylfluorone and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide in the presence of tartaric acid was developed and used for the simultaneous determination of niobium and tantalum by the CPA matrix method. The absorption maxima were at 520 and 513 nm, respectively. Measurements at six wavelengths in the range 500–530 nm provided data from which niobium (0.04–0.4 μm ml^?1) and tantalum (0.08–0.8 μg ml^?1) were evaluated, with relative standard deviations of <2.