Merging zones in flow injection analysis: Part 3. Spectrophotometric determination of aluminium in plant and soil materials with sequential addition of pulsed reagents

A flow injection procedure is described for the Spectrophotometric determination of aluminium in plant and soil material with eriochrome cyanine R. This system utilizes merging zones and sequential addition of pulsed reagents. A high degree of sample dispersion and pulsed neutralization reagent allow precise pH control; acid plant digests can therefore be analysed without pre-treatment. Iron(III) interference is avoided with ascorbic acid, and phosphate interference is negligible. The sampling rate is 120 samples per hour, reproducibility is better than 1% for a 5.0-ppm Al standard, and the calibration plot is linear in the range 0–20 ppm Al. Applied to soil and plant samples, the method gives recoveries of 98–101%.     

Turbidimetric determination of sulphate in plant digests and natural waters by flow injection analysis with alternating streams

An improved flow injection system with alternating streams of reagents is described for the turbidimetric determination of sulphate. Samples are injected into an inert carrier stream which is mixed with barium chloride to form a barium sulphate suspension. The range of the method can be extended to low concentrations by continuously adding sulphate to the sample carrier stream. System performance is improved by automatic alternate pumping of the reagent stream and an alkaline EDTA solution at high flow rate. All operations are controlled by an electronically-operated proportional injector-commutator. Even after routine analysis of 3000 samples of natural waters and plant digests, baseline drift was not observed. The proposed method is suitable for 120 samples per hour with a relative standard deviation less than 1% for sulphate concentrations in the range 1–30 ppm (waters) or 5–200 ppm (plant digests). The results compare well with those obtained by standard manual procedures.     

Merging zones in flow injection analysis: Part 5. Simultaneous determination of aluminium and iron in plant digests by a zone-sampling approach

A flow injection procedure is proposed for the simultaneous determination of aluminium and iron in plant material. The method is based on a flow configuration involving zone sampling and merging zones. Aluminium is determined spectrophotometrically with eriochrome cyanine R as reagent and iron by atomic absorption spectrometry. The advantages of this method over other procedures already reported are discussed. The effects of reagent composition for the aluminium determination are described in detail. The zone-sampling approach permits an easier pH control in the aluminium determinations so interferences caused by variations in sample acidity are avoided without the need for very concentrated buffers. The merging zones configuration greatly reduces the consumption of reagents. The proposed method permits the analysis of about 120 samples (240 determinations) per hour, with good precision (r.s.d. < 2%) in both the aluminium and iron channels. The results agree with those obtained by inductively-coupled argon plasma spectrometry.     

Merging zones in flow injection analysis : Part 6. determination of calcium in natural waters, soil and plant materials with glyoxal bis(2-hydroxyanil)

A flow injection procedure is proposed for the spectrophotometric determination of calcium in natural waters, soil extracts and plant digests, employing glyoxal bis(2-hydroxyanil) as the colour-forming reagent. The necessary dissociation of this reagent, which is rather slow, proceeds outside the analytical path, and the merging-zones approach is used for reagent addition. Composition of reagents, dissociation time of the colourforming reagent, ethanol content in the carrier streams and interferences are described. In the analysis of plant and soil materials, zone sampling is required for initial sample dilution. The proposed systems are very stable and permit a sampling rate of 180 determinations per hour. Relative standard deviations are less than 1%. The results compare well with those obtained by inductively-coupled argon-plasma atomic emission spectrometry.     

A robust multi-syringe system for process flow analysis. Part 3. Time based injection applied to the spectrophotometric determination of nickel(II) and iron speciation.

A new software-controlled time-based system for sample or reagent introduction in process flow injection analysis was developed. By using a multi-syringe burette coupled with one multi-port selection valve, the time-based injection of precise known volumes was accomplished. Characteristics and performance of the injection system were studied by injecting an indicator in a buffered carrier. Two multi-syringe time-based injection (MS-TBI) systems were implemented: first, the injection of a sample in a multiple-channel manifold where the sample would sequentially merge and react with different reagents, and second, the sequential injection of several solutions (sample and reagents) into a particular flowing stream. The first system was applied to the spectrophotometric determination of nickel(II) in diluted samples from the acidic nickel ore leaching process, by using ammonium citrate as carrier, a saturated solution of iodine as oxidizing agent and alkaline dimethylglyoxime as chromogenic reagent. The sampling frequency attained was 57 h-1. Determinations on process samples compared well at the 95% confidence level with the reference values obtained by ICP-OES. The second time-based injection system was applied to the speciation of iron. Total iron and iron(II) concentrations were separately and sequentially determined using 1,10-phenanthroline in acetic buffer medium as reagent. The developed manifold allowed the optional use of two different carrier solutions, containing or not containing ascorbic acid, for performing the separate determinations. Also, in the sequential procedure, plugs of reducing carrier were alternatively intercalated before the sample injections used for total iron determinations. Sampling frequencies of 68 injections per hour were routinely used. Accuracy was assessed by analyzing synthetic known mixtures of Fe(III) and Fe(II) standard solutions. Recoveries of 98-100.5% with a maximum relative standard deviation of 3.6% were found. Results obtained for various samples of fertilizers agreed well with those attained by the standard batch procedure.     

Isothermal distillation in flow injection analysis: Determination of total nitrogen in plant material

An isothermal distillation unit is incorporated in flow injection systems. The influence of surfactant, flow rates, alkalinity, ionic strength, collector stream pH, reagent concentration and sample volume in ammonia distillation are discussed. A method for the determination of total nitgrogen in plant digests employing Nessler reagent is proposed. This method, based on merging zones approach, is characterized by a sampling rate of 100 samples per hour, a precision better than 3%, a reagent consumption of only 100 μl per sample and virtually no base-line drift. The results agree with those obtained with the indophenol blue colorimetric method. The incorporation of isothermal distillation in flow systems with potentiometric measurement is also described.     

Flow injection analysis : Part V. Simultaneous determination of nitrogen and phosphorus in acid digests of plant material with a single spectrophotometer

The rapid simultaneous determination of nitrogen and phosphorus in a single acid digest of plant material based on the Berthelot and phosphomolybdate colorimetric methods, respectively, has been adapted to Flow Injection Analysis with a dual-channel manifold. A routine sampling rate of 200 determinations per hour can be achieved with a single spectrophotometer; evidence is presented that 400 determinations per hour are possible with two spectrophotometers. The effect of sample volume on absorbance, and the methods of obtaining different proportions of sample split are discussed.     

Sequential determination of iron and titanium by flow-injection analysis

A flow-injection method has been developed for the sequential spectrophotometric determination of iron and titanium using 3,4 dihydroxybenzoic acid as chromogenic reagent. The system involves the sequential measurement of the absorbances of the complexes at 380 and 570 nm. The system is designed using a simultaneous injection of sample and reagent into separate carrier streams. The proposed method is characterized by a precision of about 2%, a sampling rate of about 50 samples per hour, and a reagent consumption of 200 mul (0.50% solution) per sample. It is relatively free of interferences and was used for the sequential determination of titanium and iron in rocks.     

A double-line sequential injection system for the spectrophotometric determination of copper, iron, manganese, and zinc in waters

A double-line sequential injection system was developed for the spectrophotometric determination of several metal ions in waters. The proposed double-line configuration was used to enable adding sample and chromogenic reagents as merging zones. The methodology was applied to the spectrophotometric determination of copper, iron, manganese, and zinc in samples of diverse origins at the range of 0.15-5.00, 0.10-10.0, 0.48-4.00, and 0.11-5.00 mg/L, respectively. Different chromogenic reagents and detection wavelengths were used. The chromogenic reagents for iron and manganese were 1,10-phenanthroline and formaldoxime, respectively. Copper and zinc were both determined using the analytical reagent zincon. Analytical characteristics of the methodology, such as manifold parameters, buffer pH, and reagent concentrations were optimized, and interference of some of the metal ions commonly present in water sample was assessed. Results of the analysis were in agreement with those obtained by atomic absorption spectrometry. Repeatability, expressed as the relative standard deviation for 10 consecutive injections of water samples, was lower than 6%. The determination rate was approximately 36/h.     

Flow injection spectrophotometric determination of boron in plant material with azomethine-H

A simple, fast method for the determination of boron in plant extracts is described. The method utilizes injection of 1.0 ml of an acid plant digest into a 0.1 M hydrochloric acid stream, with further addition of a buffer—masking solution and azomethine-H as the colour-forming reagent. Effects of pH, kinetics of colour reaction development, sample volume, reagent composition and interferences are described. The proposed method allows the analysis of plant extracts with boron contents in the range 0.1–6.0 ppm at a rate of 60 determinations per hour, with a reagent consumption of 2 mg of azomethine-H per sample. The precision is good (r.s.d. < 1%) and the results agree with those obtained by the curcumin method.     

用自行设计的自动分析系统测定高含量SO3--对硫酸钡浊度测定法的改进

为了解决湿法磷酸生产中高含量SO3的测定,对硫酸钡浊度测定法的反应条件进行了改进,并自行设计制造了自动化的分析系统。测定时样品由蠕动泵(P)推入酸化盘管(AC)中进行酸化和稀释,由定量环(Sv)取样25μL,注入反应系统。在第一反应盘管(RC1)中,SO3与第一混合试剂中的BaCl2溶液反应生成BaSO4悬浊液,该溶液中的聚乙二醇-4000(PEG-4000)和乙醇通过协同作用避免了BaSO4颗粒的团聚,降低粒子间的相互作用,使BaSO4的生成减少,降低了测定的灵敏度,提高了稳定性。在第二反应盘管(RC2)中,BaSO4与第二混合试剂中的NH3·H2O/乙二胺四乙酸二钠(Na2EDTA)溶液发生络合反应同时被Na2EDTA包裹,进一步降低其灵敏度。最后反应溶液进入流通式光度检测器,在680.0nm波长处测试BaSO4悬浊液的吸光度。经优化试验条件,上述第一混合试剂中3种组分的质量分数或体积分数为:BaCl24%,PEG-4000 3%和乙醇2%;第二混合试剂中Na2EDTA的质量分数为6%,NH3·H2O的体积分数为6%。对实际按本方法及重量法分析进行测定,两种方法所得结果的相对偏差在±2%以内,且不受共存的高含量PO43-和F-的干扰。     

Spectrophotometric determination of iron(III) and total iron by sequential injection analysis technique

A procedure for determination of concentrations of iron(III) and total iron by sequential injection analysis is described. The method is based on the strong blue-colored complexes formed between iron(III) and tiron. The absorbance of the complexes is measured spectrophotometrically at 635 nm. Oxidation of iron(II) and masking of interfering fluoride is simultaneously done by injecting one zone of hydrogen peroxide and one of thorium(IV) between the sample and reagent zones. Concentration of iron(III) and total iron, in the range 0.002–0.026 M, in diluted samples from a pickle bath were determined. The relative standard deviation was 0.4% (n=7). The method was also used in a pilot plant of a zinc process for determination of iron(III) in the range 0.2–3.0 g l⁻¹. The sample throughput is approximately 17 samples per hour, including three repetitive determinations of each sample.     

Spectrophotometric determination of Cu(II) with sequential injection analysis

A sequential injection system, based on the reaction of Cu(II) with diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC), was developed for the determination of Cu(II) in plant food and water samples. The extraction procedure, generally used to extract the Cu(II)–DDTC complex for subsequent analysis was eliminated in this procedure. The complex was detected spectrophotometrically in aqueous solutions at 460 nm. The physical and chemical parameters depicting the system were studied to obtain optimum conditions for sample analysis. The system developed is fully computerized and able to monitor Cu(II) in samples at seven samples per hour with a relative standard deviation of <4.50%. The calibration curve is linear from 0.5–5.0 mg/l with a detection limit of 0.2 mg/l. Interferences were reduced by introducing multiple flow reversals, to increase mixing between the reagent and sample zones, and subsequently enhance working of the masking agents (EDTA/citrate).     

An improved monosegmented continuous-flow system for sample introduction in flame atomic spectrometry

A monosegmented system for sample introduction which does not require air removal is proposed. The sample is intercalated into an unsegmented carrier stream together with air plugs. Segmentation involving the placement of a single air plug in the tailed portion of the sample is also investigated and compared with the original approach in which the sample is introduced between two air bubbles. Effects of sample volume (25–1000 μl) and length of the air plugs (5–200 cm) on the recorded peak and measurement reproducibility are discussed. Flame instability caused by the air plugs is not a problem with the larger samples. The single-line system proposed for determination of zinc in plant digests is very stable. Limited dispersion is achieved by injecting only about 100 μl of sample; a sampling rate of 400 measurements per hour at the 1% carryover level can be attained. Precise results (r.s.d. ca. 1%) in agreement with those obtained by conventional atomic absorption spectrometry (a.a.s.) are achieved. The advantages of the proposed system compared to a conventional flow-injection system for a.a.s. are emphasized. The determination of calcium in natural waters demonstrates the feasibility of monosegmentation when a reagent solution must be added. Lanthanum solution can be added by merging zones or by confluence, either before or after the sample injection. The accuracy, precision, sample consumption and system stability attained are favourable.     

Determination of 2-propanol in surface cleaning solutions used for copper continuous casting process by flow injection-spectrophotometric detection with on-line column separation.

A flow-injection system has been developed for the determination of 2-propanol in the surface cleaning solutions used in the copper continuous cast rod making system. Adsorption chromatography in nitric acid medium was used for the on-line separation of oily substances in the sample solution. Cerium(IV) diammonium nitrate was utilized as the chromogenic reagent for the spectrophotometric detection of 2-propanol. The system permits a throughput of one sample per hour for the oily sample, and of 12 samples per hour for the none-oily sample. The reproducibility has been proven to be satisfactory with a relative standard deviation of less than 6.0% (2.2%(V/V) 2-propanol level, n = 23). The detection limit is 0.01% (V/V).     

A time-based injector applied to the flow injection spectrophotometric determination of boron in plant materials and soils

A simple and flexible time-based injector is described for the introduction of almost any desirable volume of sample and reagents in flow systems. The feasibility of application is demonstrated by improving the azomethine-H spectrophotometric method for the precise and accurate determination of boron in soil and coffee plant tissues. On-line programmed functions include: sequential injections and zone trapping, with a significant reduction of sample and reagent consumption.     

A spectrophotometric flow procedure for the determination of cationic surfactants in natural waters using a solenoid micro-pump for fluid propulsion

An automatic flow-analysis procedure for spectrophotometric determination of cationic surfactants in surface water using a solenoid micro-pump for propelling solutions of reagents and sample is described. The proposed method is based on a ternary formation complex between chromazurol S, the Fe(III) ion, and the cationic surfactant. The flow network comprised four solenoid micro-pumps controlled by a microcomputer, which performed the sampling step by loading a reaction coil with sample and reagent solutions and displacing the sample zone through the analytical path. The system is simple, easy to operate, and very flexible, with sufficient sensitivity to determine cationic surfactants in water without any pre-concentration or separation step. After determining the best operational conditions, favourable features such as a linear response between 0.34 and 10.2?mg?L^?1 of surfactant (R?=?0.999), a relative standard deviation of 0.6% (n?=?11) for a sample containing 3.4?mg?L^?1 of surfactant, a detection limit of 0.035?mg?L^?1 of surfactant, and a sampling throughput of 72 determinations per hour were achieved. The system was used to determine cationic surfactant in river-water samples, and recovery values between 91 and 106% were achieved.     

Determination of glucose in soft drink and sugar-cane juice employing a multicommutation approach in flow system and enzymatic reaction

A flow system based on a multicommutation approach was developed for the determination of glucose and sucrose employing enzymatic reactions. The determination was based on the reaction with D-glucose generating hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by glucose-oxidase (GOD). Subsequently, the H₂O₂ generated reacts with 4-aminefenazone plus phenol to form 4-(p-benzoquinone-mono-imine) fenazone detected at 510 nm. This reaction is catalyzed by the peroxidase enzyme (POD). The flow network comprised a set of three-way solenoid valves and was controlled by means of a microcomputer furnished with an electronic interface and running a software written in Quick BASIC 4.5. The flow network and control software were designed to implement the multicommutation approach providing facilities to handle sample and reagent solutions, so that, sample dilution could be easily performed on line. Accuracy was assessed by comparison with results obtained by known procedures and no significant difference at the 95% confidence level was observed. Other advantageous features were a linear response ranging from 0.05 to 0.20% (w/v) glucose without prior dilution, a reagent consumption of 336 μL per determination, an analytical throughput of 30 samples per hour.     

A green flow-based procedure for fluorimetric determination of acid-dissociable cyanide in natural waters exploiting multicommutation

A flow system designed with solenoid valves is proposed for determination of weak acid dissociable cyanide, based on the reaction with o-phthalaldehyde (OPA) and glycine yielding a highly fluorescent isoindole derivative. The proposed procedure minimizes the main drawbacks related to the reference batch procedure, based on reaction with barbituric acid and pyridine followed by spectrophotometric detection, i.e., use of toxic reagents, high reagent consumption and waste generation, low sampling rate, and poor sensitivity. Retention of the sample zone was exploited to increase the conversion rate of the analyte with minimized sample dispersion. Linear response (r = 0.999) was observed for cyanide concentrations in the range 1–200 μg L⁻¹, with a detection limit (99.7% confidence level) of 0.5 μg L⁻¹ (19 nmol L⁻¹). The sampling rate and coefficient of variation (n = 10) were estimated as 22 measurements per hour and 1.4%, respectively. The results of determination of weak acid dissociable cyanide in natural water samples were in agreement with those achieved by the batch reference procedure at the 95% confidence level. Additionally to the improvement in the analytical features in comparison with those of the flow system with continuous reagent addition (sensitivity and sampling rate 90 and 83% higher, respectively), the consumption of OPA was 230-fold lower.     

Ion exchange in flow injection analysis: Determination of Ammonium Ions at the μg 1-1 level in Natural Waters with Pulsed Nessler Reagent

Ion exchange is incorporated in flow injection analysis by using a resin column in the sample loop of an electronically operated proportional injector. Effects of sample aspiration rate, sampling time, eluting agent concentration, pumping rate of the sample carrier stream, resin column size and sample acidity, were investigated to develop a preconcentration procedure for ammonium ion determination in natural waters at the μg 1^-1 level with pulsed Nessler reagent. The possibility of sample buffering before the adsorption step was studied. The proposed method is characterized by a precision of about 2%, a sampling rate of about 40 samples per hour. and a reagent consumption of 40 μl per sample, and is almost free of interferences. Recoveries from 95 to 105% were achieved in analysing rain-water samples with ammonium contents of less than 200 μg 1^-1. Alternative flow diagrams and the injector command unit are discussed.