Determination of the rare earths, yttrium and scandium in silicate rocks and four new geological reference materials by electrothermal atomization from graphite and tantalum surfaces

An improved graphite furnace atomic-absorption method has been developed for the determination of Sc, Y and the rare-earth elements in silicate rocks and related materials. The method, which involves the separation of the lanthanides by ion-exchange followed by their determination by electrothermal atomization, with use of an automatic sampling device, is more rapid than a previous method based on separation by co-precipitation with calcium oxalate and hydrous ferric oxide followed by normal injection of the solution into the furnace. Greater sensitivity (~ 10-40-fold) for La, Ce, Pr, Gd, Tb and Lu is also achieved by using a tantalum foil-lined graphite furnace instead of a pyrolytically-coated furnace. Results obtained for five international reference rock samples, NIM-G, SCo-1, MAG-1, SDC-1 and BHVO-1, are compared with those obtained previously by the oxalate-hydrous oxide co-precipitation method and with other published values. Results are given for four new Canadian iron-formation reference materials, FeR-1 to FeR-4.     

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.     

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 bismuth in ores, concentrates and non-ferrous alloys by atomic-absorption spectrophotometry after separation by diethyldithiocarbamate extraction or iron collection

Two simple, reliable and moderately rapid atomic-absorption methods for determining trace and minor amounts of bismuth in copper, nickel, molybdenum, lead and zinc concentrates and ores, and in non-ferrous alloys, are described. These methods involve the separation of bismuth from matrix elements either by chloroform extraction of its diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) complex, at pH 11.5–12.0, from a sodium hydroxide medium containing citric acid, tartaric acid, EDTA and potassium cyanide as complexing agents, or by co-precipitation with hydrous ferric oxide from an ammoniacal medium. Bismuth is ultimately determined, at 223.1 nm after evaporation of the extract to dryness in the presence of nitric and petchloric acids and dissolution of the salts in 20% v/v hydrochloric acid, or by dissolution of the hydrous oxide precipitate with the same acid solution, respectively. Results obtained by both methods are compared with those obtained spectrophotometrically by the iodide method after the separation of bismuth by DDTC and xanthate extractions.     

Determination of tellurium in ores, concentrates and related materials by graphite-furnace atomic-absorption spectrometry after separations by iron collection and xanthate extraction

A method for determining approximately 0.01 mug/g or more of tellurium in ores, concentrates, rocks, soils and sediments is described. After sample decomposition and evaporation of the solution to incipient dryness, tellurium is separated from > 300 mug of copper by co-precipitation with hydrous ferric oxide from an ammoniacal medium and the precipitate is dissolved in 10M hydrochloric acid. Alternatively, for samples containing 300 mug of copper, the salts are dissolved in 10M hydrochloric acid. Tellurium in the resultant solutions is reduced to the quadrivalent state by heating and separated from iron, lead and various other elements by a single cyclohexane extraction of its xanthate complex from approximately 9.5M hydrochloric acid in the presence of thiosemicarbazide as a complexing agent for copper. After washing with 10M hydrochloric acid followed by water to remove residual iron, chloride and soluble salts, tellurium is stripped from the extract with 16M nitric acid and finally determined, in a 2% v/v nitric acid medium, by graphite-furnace atomic-absorption spectrometry at 214.3 nm in the presence of nickel as matrix modifier. Small amounts of gold and palladium, which are partly co-extracted as xanthates if the iron-collection step is omitted, do not interfere. Co-extraction of arsenic is avoided by volatilizing it as the bromide during the decomposition step. The method is directly applicable, without the co-precipitation step, to most rocks, soils and sediments.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

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 chromium in ores, rocks and related materials, iron, steel and non-ferrous alloys by atomic-absorption spectrophotometry after separation by tribenzylamine-chloroform extraction

A method for determining trace and moderate amounts of chromium in ores, concentrates, rocks, soils and clays is described. After fusion of the sample with sodium peroxide, the melt is dissolved in dilute sulphuric acid. The chromium(III) produced by the hydrogen peroxide formed is co-precipitated with hydrous ferric oxide. The precipitate is dissolved in 0.7M sulphuric acid and chromium oxidized to chromium(VI) with ceric ammonium sulphate. The chromium(VI) is extracted as an ion-association complex into chloroform containing tribenzylamine and stripped with ammoniacal hydrogen peroxide. This solution is acidified with perchloric acid and chromium determined by atomic-absorption spectrophotometry in an air-acetylene flame, at 357.9 nm. Barium and strontium do not interfere. The procedure is also applicable to iron and steel, and nickel-copper, aluminium and zirconium alloys. Up to 5 mg of manganese and 10 mg each of molybdenum and vanadium will not interfere. In the absence of vanadium, up to 10 mg of tungsten will not interfere. In the presence of 1 mg of vanadium, up to 1 mg of tungsten will not interfere.     

Determination of scandium, yttrium and lanthanides in silicate rocks and four new canadian iron-formation reference materials by flame atomic-absorption spectrometry with microsample injection

Enhancement of sensitivity by factors of up to 1.5 by use of the microsampling technique, coupled with the advantage of using small samples in small solution volumes, permits rapid flame AAS determination of traces of Sc, Y, Nd, Eu, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm and Yb in ultramafic and most other rocks of low rare-earth content, which would be either impossible or very difficult to analyse by direct aspiration because of the need for much larger sample weights and solution volumes. The rare-earths are separated by a modified ion-exchange or a double calcium oxalate and single hydrous ferric oxide co-precipitation procedure, and ultimately determined in an ethanolic perchlorate solution, buffered with 1% lanthanum, by the flame microsample injection technique, with a nitrous oxide-acetylene flame. The results obtained by this technique for six international reference rocks SY-2 (syenite), BCR-1 (basalt), BHVO-1 (Hawaiian basalt), SCo-1 (cody shale), MAG-1 (marine mud) and STM-1 (syenite) are compared with those obtained previously by the direct aspiration method and with other reported data. Results are given for four new Canadian iron formation reference materials FeR-1 to FeR-4.     

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.     

Influence of volatile hydride-forming elements on antimony determination by atomic-absorption spectrometry with hydride-generation

A study was undertaken to determine the interfering effects of arsenic, bismuth, germanium, lead, selenium, tin and tellurium on trace determination of antimony by atomic-absorption spectrometry with hydride-generation. A 1% NaBH(4) solution was used as reductant and a small amount of oxygen was added to the hydrogen produced, to support the combustion and atomization of SbH(3). The interference from selenium in the determination of antimony is removed if potassium iodide-ascorbic acid solution or copper sulphate is added to the sample solution. The interference of tin and tellurium can also be avoided by adding potassium iodide-ascorbic acid solution. A possible interference mechanism is discussed.     

Effect of gamma-ray irradiation on the sorption property of hydrous ferric oxide and ferric phosphate

The equilibirum sorption capacity of hydrous ferric oxide and ferric phosphate has been observed to increase on irradiation with γ-rays by 5.2 and 6.6%, respectively. The rate of sorption increases differently in the irradiated exchanger materials depending upon their characteristics nature; e.g., when the concentration of the Zn(ammine) solution is 0.10M, increase in the F-values, caused by irradiation is significantly more striking in the case of hydrous ferric oxide than in ferric phosphate. On the other hand, at lower external concentration of the Zn(ammine) ion (0.01M), the increase in F-values is more significant in the case of ferric phosphate.     

Determination of traces of indium, manganese, arsenic and antimony in zinc by neutron-activation analysis

Destructive activation determination of the trace elements indium, manganese, arsenic and antimony in different samples of pure zinc metal by solvent extraction techniques is described. Determination of indium and manganese is based on the quantitative co-precipitation of both elements with lanthanum hydroxide, followed by their extraction with sodium diethyldithiocarbamate in the presence of potassium cyanide and their subsequent separation by selective stripping. The quantitative determination of arsenic and antimony is based on the extraction of their iodides from sulphuric acid solution with toluene.     

自掺杂型锑氧化物材料的制备、表征及其对Sr(Ⅱ)的吸附性能

90Sr是核电站放射性废液中需要重点去除的核素之一,水合锑氧化物Sb2O5·mH2O可以在酸性条件下选择性吸附脱除90Sr.本文在以醇为溶剂的无水体系中,以化学性能较稳定且毒性低的SbCl3为原料,以紫外线照射辅助双氧水氧化及控制水解两步法制备出自掺杂型锑氧化物Sb(Ⅲ)/Sb2O5.文中采用X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、X射线衍射(XRD)和傅里叶变换红外(FTIR)光谱对材料结构进行结构表征,并采用批量实验方法研究不同Sb(Ⅲ)/Sb(total)比例与Sr(Ⅱ)吸附性能的相关性,以及溶液pH值对Sr(Ⅱ)吸附性能的影响.实验结果表明:Sb(Ⅲ)可在较大的比例范围内共存于立方烧绿石型Sb2O5晶格内,形成良好的固溶体Sb(Ⅲ)/Sb2O5;制备过程中通过控制醇溶剂的类型、氧化剂的添加方式以及两步反应温度,可以获得具有不同氧化率,即不同Sb(Ⅲ)/Sb(total)比例的Sb(Ⅲ)/Sb2O5材料;其中Sb(Ⅲ)/Sb(total)比例为49.8%的锑氧化物材料吸附性能最好,在纯水体系下对Sr(Ⅱ)的分配系数为6.6×107mL·g-1,在pH=3-13范围内对Sr(Ⅱ)具有良好的吸附性能,并且在本文实验条件下,Sr(Ⅱ)在锑氧化物材料上的吸附更好地符合Langmuir吸附模型.     

A Coulometric Analysis Method and an Ion-exclusion Chromatographic Method for the Determination of Antimony(V) in Large Excess of Antimony(III)

A coulometric analysis method and an ion-exclusion chromatographic method were developed for the determination of antimony(V) in a large excess of antimony(III). Antimony(V) reacted with potassium iodide in a high concentration hydrochloric acid; the liberated iodine was determined by the standard-addition method using coulometrically generated iodine. Using a Dionex ICE-AS1 ion-exclusion column, antimony(V) was eluted with 40 mmol/L sulfuric acid; on the other hand, antimony(III) was strongly retained on the column. The content, expressed as the amount ratio of antimony(V) to antimony(III), was 0.035% in a 10 g/kg antimony(III) solution prepared from an antimony(III) oxide reagent by the coulometric analysis method and 0.036% in a 1 g/kg antimony(III) solution prepared from the same antimony(III) oxide by the ion-exclusion chromatographic method. The results of both methods were in good agreement with each other. The detection limit of antimony(V) in antimony(III) oxide by the former method was 0.004% of antimony(III), and that by the latter method was 0.002% of antimony(III).     

自掺杂型锑氧化物材料的制备、表征及其对Sr(Ⅱ)的吸附性能

⁹⁰Sr 是核电站放射性废液中需要重点去除的核素之一,水合锑氧化物Sb₂O₅·mH₂O可以在酸性条件下选择性吸附脱除⁹⁰Sr. 本文在以醇为溶剂的无水体系中,以化学性能较稳定且毒性低的SbCl₃为原料,以紫外线照射辅助双氧水氧化及控制水解两步法制备出自掺杂型锑氧化物Sb（Ⅲ）/Sb₂O₅. 文中采用X射线光电子能谱（XPS）、X射线衍射（XRD）和傅里叶变换红外（FTIR）光谱对材料结构进行结构表征,并采用批量实验方法研究不同Sb（Ⅲ）/Sb（total）比例与Sr（Ⅱ）吸附性能的相关性,以及溶液pH 值对Sr（Ⅱ）吸附性能的影响. 实验结果表明：Sb（Ⅲ）可在较大的比例范围内共存于立方烧绿石型Sb₂O₅晶格内,形成良好的固溶体Sb（Ⅲ）/Sb₂O₅;制备过程中通过控制醇溶剂的类型、氧化剂的添加方式以及两步反应温度,可以获得具有不同氧化率,即不同Sb（Ⅲ）/Sb（total）比例的Sb（Ⅲ）/Sb₂O₅材料;其中Sb（Ⅲ）/Sb（total）比例为49.8%的锑氧化物材料吸附性能最好,在纯水体系下对Sr（Ⅱ）的分配系数为6.6×107 mL·g^-1,在pH=3-13 范围内对Sr（Ⅱ）具有良好的吸附性能,并且在本文实验条件下,Sr（Ⅱ）在锑氧化物材料上的吸附更好地符合Langmuir吸附模型.     

Electrothermal atomic-absorption spectrometry of antimony by use of a molybdenum micro-tube atomizer

Electrothermal atomization of antimony has been investigated to clarify the atomization characteristics and interferences from diverse elements, for accurate determination of traces of antimony. Thiourea served to lower the atomization temperature of antimony and to improve the sensitivity. Germanium and phosphoric acid were found to have a pronounced effect on atomization of antimony. The interference of various elements was suppressed in the presence of thiourea. A method involving extraction for determining antimony in metallurgical and geological samples is described.     

Studies in colloidal silicates

Summary The electrical conductance of the mixture obtained by the progressive addition of a sodium silicate to a ferric chloride solution first decreases then increases and finally there is again a drop till the soda content of the silicate equals the chloride content of the ferric chloride solutions. This shows that the free hydrochloric acid already present in the ferric chloride from its hydrolysis is first used up in the reaction and it is followed by formation of a mixture of hydrous oxide and silicate of iron and silica. Subsequently a double silicate of iron and sodium comes out as a precipitate. Formation of ferric hydroxide and silica is favoured in dilute solutions, p_H curves show an inflection beyond the equivalent value of sodium silicate which indicates the generation of silica in the system.

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Zusammenfassung Die elektrische Leitf?higkeit von Mischungen, die durch progressives Hinzufügen von Natriumsilikat zu einer Ferrichloridl?sung erhalten werden, steigt nach anf?nglicher Abnahme und sinkt, erneut, bis der Natriumgehalt gleich dem Ferrichloridgehalt der Bisensalzl?sung wird. Dies zeigt, da? die freie hydrochlorische S?ure, die durch Hydrolyse in der Ferrichloridl?sung schon vorhanden ist, zun?chst durch Reaktion aufgebraucht wird und da? dieser Reaktion die Bildung von Hydroxyd, Eisensilikat und Kiesels?ure folgt. Anschlie?end f?llt Doppelsilikat von Eisen und Natrium aus. Die Bildung von Ferrihydroxyd und Kiesels?ure wird in verdünnten L?sungen begünstigt. Die p_H-Kurven zeigen einen Umkehrpunkt oberhalb des ?quivalenzwertes von Natriumsilikat, was die Bildung von Kiesels?ure im System andeutet.