Sine-wave polarographic determination of zirconium or niobium in aqueous media

The sine-wave polarographic determination of zirconium in aqueous media was investigated using solutions which were 0.55 – 5.5·10^-3M in zirconyl chloride and 1 M in potassium chloride and had been adjusted to pH 2.0 with hydrochloric acid. It was possible to determine zirconium in the concentration range of 0.05 to 0.4 mg per ml. The sine-wave polarographic behavior of zirconium in aqueous solutions in the pH range 2–3 is discussed. The sine-wave polarographic determination of niobium in aqueous media was investigated using concentrated sulfuric acid containing 5 to 0.1 mg of niobium per ml in a supporting electrolyte of citric acid; the determination of niobium was possible down to 0.1 mg of niobium per ml of concentrated sulfuric acid although the D.C. polarographic method was impractical for the determination of less than 0.5 mg of niobium per ml.     

Determination of thallium and lead in cadmium salts by anodic stripping voltammetry with addition of surfactants to suppress the cadmium peaks

Conditions have been found which make possible the determination of thallium and/or lead in cadmium and its salts without preliminary separation. The electrochemical activity of the cadmium, which usually interferes in the determination of thallium, is inhibited by the addition of 0.01% of polyethylene glycol of M.W. 4000. Thallium is determined by electrolysis at ?0.74 V vs. SCE, in 0.1M EDTA solution: 10^?1M thallium can be determined in the presence of 0.1M cadmium, while copper and lead at 10^?2M and 10^?5M respectively do not interfere. Lead is determined in 0.1M acetic acid containing 0.1% cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). The addition of CTAB shifts the cadmium peak, as well as the optimum deposition potential for cadmium, to more negative values, making it possible to determine lead in the presence of cadmium as long as the deposition potential lies in the range between ?0.50 and ?0.56 V vs. SCE. Lead can be determined in the presence of ten times as much thallium.     

Alternating current polarographic determination of microgram amounts of iodide ion by means of the catalytic oxidation of 1-amino-2-naphthol-4-sulfonic acid

The catalytic oxidation of 1-amino-2-naphthol-4-sulfonic, acid proceeds quickly with microgram amounts of iodide in the presence of sodium chlorate at pH between 1.3 and 2.0. The oxidation product shows a sensitive tensammetric wave at potentials of about +0.03 V vs. SCE (pH 1.75), so that the catalytic reaction was applied for the determination of microgram amounts of iodide ion. The most suitable conditions of the pH range, the concentration of ANS and sodium chlorate, reaction temperature and standing are 1.3–2.0, 3 × 10^?4M, 0.05 M, 50° C and 1 h respectively. Using the recommended procedure, iodide ion can be determined precisely in the concentration range 0.4–6.5 ng ml^?1 with a relative error of about 3%. Interference of foreign species and the application to the determination of total iodine in river and sea water are described.     

Solvent extraction separation of gallium with 18crown6 from chloride media

Gallium was quantitatively extracted with 0.02M 18crown6 in methylene chloride from 6M hydrochloric acid, then stripped with 1M acetic acid and determined with 2-(pyridylazo)naphthol with measurement at 545 nm. Gallium was separated from indium, thallium, lead, aluminium and bismuth. The method was applied to determination of gallium in bauxite.     

An ion-exchange scheme for the determination of the major cations in sea water

A cation-exchange scheme is described for the determination of the principal cations in sea water. The cations are adsorbed onto a column of Amberlite CG 120. Sodium and potassium are eluted together using 0.15 M ammonium chloride and determined gravimetrically as sulphates; potassium is then determined gravimetrically as potassium tetraphenylboron and sodium is determined by difference. Magnesium and calcium are eluted by means of 0.35 M ammonium chloride and 1 M ammonium acetylacetonate (pH 9.6) respectively, and titrated with EDTA. Finally, strontium is eluted with 2 M nitric acid and determined by flame photometry. Tests made using an artificial sea water showed that the method had coefficients of variation of 0.02, o.22, 0.04, 0.08 and 0.8% for sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium and strontium respectively.     

Determination of seven trace elements in natural waters after separation by solvent extraction and anion-exchange chromatography

A method is described for the determination of cadmium, cobalt, copper, manganese, lead, uranium, and zinc in samples of natural waters. After acidification with hydrochloric acid the water sample is filtered and the diethyldithiocarbamates of the trace elements are isolated by extraction with acetone—chloroform (2:5) at pH 5. Following this preconcentration step the metal ions are adsorbed on a column of the strongly basic anion-exchange resin Dowex 1-X8 (chloride form) using as sorption solution a mixture (5:4:1, $\text{v}\text{v}$) of tetrahydrofuran, methyl glycol and 6 M hydrochloric acid. Successive elution is effected with 6 M hydrochloric acid (Co, Cu, Mn and Pb), 1 M hydrochloric acid (U) and 2 M nitric acid (Cd and Zn); the metal ions in the eluates are determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (except uranium, which is determined fluorimetrically). The procedure was used to determine the trace-metals in water and snow samples collected in Austria and to analyse a sample of sea water from the Adriatic Sea.     

Solvent extraction of lead,silver, antimony and thallium with zinc dibenzyldithiocarbamate and its application to the separation of bismuth from large amounts of lead

Solvent extraction of lead, silver, antimony and thallium from various acid solutions was investigated with zinc-DBDTC as chelating reagent. These metals were quantitatively extracted over a wide range of acidity with 0.03% zinc-DBDTC solution in carbon tetrachloride. A separation procedure for bismuth from large amounts of lead was developed; bismuth was extracted from 1 M nitric acid with zinc-DBDTC and was separated from lead by subsequently washing the organic phase once with 3.5 M hydrochloric acid or twice with 3 M hydrochloric acid. Satisfactory results were obtained in separating microgram amounts of bismuth from 1 g of lead.     

The extraction of copper(I), lead(II) and tin(IV) from hydrochloric acid by solutions of tetra-n-hexylammonium chloride in ethylene dichloride

Copper(I) is strongly extracted from chloride media as the ion-pair NR₄+CuCl₃-by solutions of tetra-n-hexylammonium chloride (NR₄+Cl-) in ethylene dichloride. The distribution coefficient decreases from ca. 100 in 1 M chloride but is still as high as 13 in 10 M chloride. The extraction of lead(II) is shown to be due to the partition of the ion-pair (NR₄+PbCI₃-). The percentage of 0.0018 M lead extracted is 98% from 0.58 M hydrochloric acid and falls to 38% from 7.8 M acid. The distribution coefficient decreases rapidly with the total lead concentration. The extractions of tin(IV) increased to a maximum of 99.5% in ca. 5 M hydrochloric acid but decreased rapidly above 6 M acid. It proved impossible to identify the extractable species.     

Voltammetric,potentiometric and amperometric studies with a rotated aluminum wire electrode : A comparison of the baker and morrison cell with the raie.

In the amperometric determination of fluoride at the RAIE a half cell composed of 5% cadmium amalgam in equilibrum with a solution 1 M in cadmium sulfate and saturated with potassium chloride can be used as a reference electrode in a short-circuited cell instead of applying a potential of -0 75 V versus the saturated calomel electrode The standard addition method can be used in the presence of air, although removal of oxygen is recommended Using the Baker and Morrison electrode versus the above half cell and following their directions (10 ml solution, magnetic stirring) proportionality between current and fluoride concentration in a range between 1 · 10^-5 and 1 · 10^-4M was found in oxygen-free solutions Halides and perchlorates do not interfere. The standard addition technique can be used in the determination of fluoride in an unknown.     

Determination of cadmium, copper and lead in natural waters after anion-exchange separtion.

A method is described for the determination of cadmium, copper and lead in samples of natural non-saline waters. After acidification with hydrobromic acid, the water sample is filtered and, following the addition of ascorbic acid, passed through a column of the strongly basic anion-exchange resin Dowex 1-X8 (bromide form). On this exchanger cadmium(II). copper(I) and lead(II) are adsorbed as anionic bromide complexes. After elution of these elements with 1 M nitric acid, the determinations by atomic absorption spectrometry are carried out in a medium consisting of 90% ($\text{v}\text{v}$) methanol and 10% ($\text{v}\text{v}$) 1.5 M hydrobromic acid. The procedure was used for the routine determination of cadmium, copper and lead in water samples collected in Austria.     

Determination of semimicro amounts of tellurium by electrodeposition

Electrodeposition of tellurium in micro or semimicro amounts can be achieved using copper or copper-plated platinum cathodes. Best results are obtained from electrolytic baths of approximately 2 M sulfuric acid, 0.4 M ammonium sulfate, 0.1 M sodium tartrate and 0.06 M sodium nitrate. Electrodeposition of tellurium can be carried out with an accuracy better than 1% at the 90% confidence level.     

Coprecipitation with lanthanum phosphate as a technique for separation and preconcentration of iron(III) and lead

The usefulness of coprecipitation with lanthanum phosphate for separation and preconcentration of some heavy metals has been investigated. Although lanthanum phosphate coprecipitates iron(III) and lead quantitatively at pH 2.3, iron(II) can barely be collected at this pH. This coprecipitation technique was applicable to the separation and preconcentration of iron(III) before inductively coupled plasma atomic-emission spectrometric (ICP-AES) determination; the recoveries of iron(III) and iron(II) from spiked water samples were 103-105% and 0.2-0.7%, respectively. The coprecipitation was also useful for separation of 20 microg lead from 100 mL of an aqueous solution that also contained 1-100 mg iron. Coprecipitation of iron was substantially suppressed by addition of ascorbic acid, which enabled recovery of 97-103% of lead added to the solution, bringing the recovery to within 1.6-5.0% of the relative standard deviations. Lanthanum phosphate can also coprecipitate cadmium and indium quantitatively, although chromium(III), cobalt, and nickel and large amounts of sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium are barely coprecipitated at pH approximately/= 3.     

Cyclic and stripping voltammetry of tin at mercury hanging drop and film electrodes in acidic o-diphenol media in the presence of lead and cadmium

The influence of catechol, gallic acid and tiron on the voltammetric behaviour of tin(IV) in the presence of lead(II) and cadmium(II) was investigated at hanging drop and mercury film electrodes in perchloric acid, oxalic acid and formate supporting electrolytes. Under cyclic conditions, well separated peaks of tin, lead and cadmium are obtained in oxalic acid and formate solutions containing gallic acid or catechol; tiron suppresses the tin peaks significantly. The efficiency of the deposition of tin in the presence of catechol or gallic acid is less than that of lead, particularly at long deposition time. The best separation of the stripping peaks of tin, lead and cadmium is obtained in oxalic acid solution containing gallic acid or catechol. In perchloric acid solution containing gallic acid or catechol the second peak corresponding to tin oxidation is useful for determinations of tin in the presence of lead. Tin(IV) at the 10^-8 mol l^-1 level can be detemined in various salt solutions and in water samples in the presence of five-fold amounts of lead and cadmium.     

Spectrophotometric determination of traces of gallium and indium with 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol

1-(2-Pyridylazo)-2-naphthol (PAN) reacts with either gallium or indium at pH 5–6 giving a red complex in an aqueous medium in the presence of N.N-dimethyl-formamide. The maximum absorption of both PAN complexes of gallium and indium in an aqueous solution is at 545 mμ. The gallium-PAN complex shows a characteristic enhancement of color by addition of small amounts of ethers. Based on this selective enhancement reaction, gallium can be determined in the presence of other metals without separation. The results of determining gallium and indium in the presence of each other are reported. Both gallium and indium form M₂(PAN)₃; but in the presence of certain organic solvents, a different gallium complex, Ga(PAN)₅, and the same indium complex, In₂(PAN)₃, are formed. The reaction of PAN with cadmium can be masked by iodide; an example of determining indium in the presence of cadmium is given. The PAN method has a sensitivity of 0.003 μg/cm² for gallium and 0.005μg/cm² for indium and an absorptivity of 24,900 for the Ga-PAN complex and of 24,500 for the In-PAN complex, respectively. The methods have been successfully applied to the determination of both gallium and indium in germanium thin films.     

Solid-phase extraction and determination of ultra trace amounts of lead,mercury and cadmium in water samples using octadecyl silica membrane disks modified with 5,5′-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) and atomic absorption spectrometry

A simple and fast method for preconcentration and determination of ultra trace amounts of lead(II), mercury(II) and cadmium(II) in water samples is presented. Lead, mercury and cadmium adsorbed quantitatively during passage of water samples (pH?=?7, flow rate?=?20 mL min^?1) through octadecyl silica membrane disks modified with 5,5′-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid). The retained lead, mercury and cadmium are then stripped from the disk with a minimal amount of 1 M hydrochloric acid solution as eluent, and determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. The influence of flow rates of the eluent and sample solution, the amount of ligand, type and least amount of eluent, pH of sample, effect of other ions and breakthrough volume are determined. The breakthrough volume of the method is greater than 2000 mL for lead and greater than 1500 mL for mercury and cadmium, which results in an enrichment factor of 200 for lead and an enrichment factor of 150 for both mercury and cadmium. The limit of detection of the proposed method is 177, 2 and 13 ng l^?1 for lead, mercury and cadmium, respectively.     

Simultaneous determination of tin and lead by anodic stripping voltammetry in aqueous-alcoholic medium. Application to the direct determination of these elements in canned foods

Tin and lead may be determined in mixture in a solution of 50% methanol-50% isopropanol containing l M hydrochloric acid. The solvent-electrolyte composition affects both the relative a.s.v. peak heights and peak resolution. Iron(III) in large quantities does not interfere, and mixtures of copper, lead, tin, and cadmium may be analyzed. Juice samples can be analyzed without digestion, by simple 1:5000 dilution (5 μl to 25 ml) with the above solvent electrolyte. It was demonstrated that tin gradually dissolves from cans containing the juice.     

Anodic stripping determination of mercury in air with a glassy carbon electrode

A technique for stripping determination of mercury traces in air employing a glassy carbon electrode is described. The sample is passed at 2 liters min^?1 for 2 hr through an absorber containing 0.2 M potassium permanganate and 10% $\text{w}\text{v}$ sulfuric acid (1:1). After reduction with hydroxylamine hydrochloride, the determination is carried out in 0.12 M potassium thiocyanate at pH 2.0 ± 0.2 in the presence of 0.2 ppm of cupric ions. Calibration curves were found to be linear in the range 20 ppb-1 ppm Hg(II) in the cell. The accuracy of the method was tested over simulated samples and it was found to be better than 95%; the relative standard deviation was 5% or less. The limit of detection of mercury in air was approximately 10 μg m^?3.     

Direct spectrophotometric determination of indium in tin

Indium is separated from tin by an anion-exchange process in 0.5 M hydrochloric acid solution. Subsequently, the indium is extracted into 1,2-dichlorobenzene as its complex with 5,7-dichloro-8-quinolinol. The complex forms and extracts quantitatively in the pH range 3–7. The yellow, organic phase is measured spectrophotometrically at 415 mμ; ; its absorbancy is directly proportional to the indium content of the aqueous phase up to a total of 1.5 mg of indium per 50 ml. This procedure quantitatively separates the two metals, allows one to determine the indium content of indium(<5%)-tin alloys with a relative error less than 0.7%, and considerably reduces color fading errors inherent in some previously reported spectrophotometric methods for indium.     

Ion exchange separation in the analysis of bismuth base alloys : Part II. Ternary alloys containing uranium and thorium

Procedures are described for the analysis of bismuth base alloys containing uranium and thorium in the range from 0.1 to 10%. The thorium is first separated by the passage of a solution of the sample in 5M hydrochloric acid through a column of Deacidite FF in the chloride form. For thorium contents greater than about 1%, the determination is completed volumetrically with EDTA using pyrocatechol violet as the indicator. Smaller amounts are determined absorptiometrically by the thoronol method. Uranium is recovered from the ion-exchange column in a quantity of 0.2M hydrochloric acid, bismuth still being retained by the column under these conditions. Uranium contents greater than about 1% are determined volumetrically after reduction to the tetravalent state with a lead reductor, whilst smaller amounts are determined polarographically using a tartrate base solution.     

The electroreduction of formaldehyde on tin and indium

The electrochemical behavior of formaldehyde on tin and indium cathodes has been studied over a wide range of pH (0.4–13), concentrations (1×10^?3 to 6×10^?1M) and potentials. Potentiostatic, potentiodynamic, ac impedance and photoe mission techniques were used to determine the kinetics of the reaction and to postulate a mechanism. The behavior on indium is similar to that reported on mercury cathodes. Tafel slopes are about 65 to 80 mV/decade. This value indicates that protonation of a reaction intermediate is the rate determining step of the reaction. The value of the slope depends slightly on concentration and pH because of adsorption under Temkin conditions. The reaction order with respect to formaldehyde is close to 1 in the limiting current region, but smaller in the Tafel region. The effect of formaldehyde on tin in neutral and alkaline solutions is to decrease the hydrogen overpotential by about 0.5 V, without affecting the Tafel slope. The rate of formaldehyde reduction is very slow. An explanation for this catalytic effect is postulated, based on the adsorption of formaldehyde-related species on the electrode surface. Formation of bridge-type complexes is also postulated. The exact nature of the adsorbed species is unknown. Preliminary results indicate that the behavior of formaldehyde on lead is similar to that on tin. The influence of this species on the reduction of formic acid on tin and lead is discussed.