Optimization of a wet chemical continuous flow analysis method exemplified by the determinations of kjeldahl nitrogen and total phosphorus

The optimization of a rather complex wet chemical analysis method, such as the measurement of Kjeldahl nitrogen or total phosphorus with the Technicon AutoAnalyzer, is extremely tedious when purely empirical approaches are used. A mathematical model of the different stages of the measuring method (digestion, neutralization and color reaction) is described. The system can then be optimized for maximum measuring sensitivity. Optimization is done by solving numerically the non-linear optimization problem with constraints. The starting values for the optimization algorithm were found by varying these values systematically within the tolerated range, with checks that none of the constraints were violated. The theoretical results predict an increase in sensitivity by a factor of 15 compared to the method used previously. In practice, the sensitivity was increased by a factor of 10 for the total phosphorus method. For the simultaneous low-level determinations of Kjeldahl nitrogen and total phosphorus some problems of stability remain.     

Beiträge zur Analyse nuklearer Rohmaterialien. X

Zusammenfassung Eine Methode wurde beschrieben, die es ermöglicht, Mangan von großen Mengen Uran zu trennen und der Endbestimmung mittels Spektrophotometrie zugänglich zu machen. Die Abtrennung des Mangans aus der Uranmatrix erfolgt durch Adsorption auf einer Säule des stark sauren Kationenaustauschers Dowex 50, X8 aus einer Mischung von 80 Vol.% Hexon, 10 Vol.% Aceton und 10 Vol.% 12-m Salpetersäure. Nach Elution des adsorbierten Mangans mittels 2-m Salpetersäure wird dieses unter Anwendung der Formaldoximmethode spektrophotometrisch bestimmt. Das Verfahren wurde zur Bestimmung des Mangans in U₃O₈-Standardproben (0,9 bis 8,1 ppm Mn) herangezogen und dabei eine sehr gute Übereinstimmung der Resultate erzielt.

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Contributions to the analysis of nuclear raw materials. X

Summary A method has been described that makes possible to separate manganese from large amounts of uranium and to render possible the end-determination by means of spectrophotometry. The separation of the manganese and of the uranium material is conducted by adsorption on a column of the strongly acidic cation exchanger Dowex 50, X 8 from a mixture of 80 vol.% hexone, 10 vol.% acetone and 10 vol.% of 12M nitric acid. Following elution of the adsorbed manganese by means of 2M nitric acid the manganese is determined spectrophotometrically by employing the formaldoxime method. The method was employed for the determination of manganese in standard specimens of U₃O₈ (0.9 to 8.1 ppm manganese) and a very good agreement of the results was achieved.

     

HPLC-Electrochemical detection with graphite-poly (tetrafluoroethylene) electrode Determination of the fungicides thiram and disulfiram

The suitability of composite graphite-poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (Teflon) electrodes as amperometric indicator electrodes in HPLC detection is demonstrated. The determination of the fungicides thiram and disulfiram in the presence of ziram has been chosen as an analytical problem. The optimization of working conditions, such as the choice of the organic solvent used in the mobile phase as well as its percentage, the potential applied to the composite electrode, and the time elapsed between mixing the carbamates and the injection, has been accomplished by using the wall-jet flow-cell configuration. The effect of the acetonitrile percentage used in the mobile phase on the retention of thiram, disulfiram, ziram and phenol was evaluated. Resolution up to the baseline can be achieved with 45% acetonitrile. The sensitivity of the determination of thiram and disulfiram in the presence of a constant concentration of ziram is slightly better when using a wall-jet cell; however, the background current is higher, as well as the baseline noise and the time necessary to achieve stabilization of the baseline before the injection. Lower limits of detection for both fungicides, as well as a better repeatability, were obtained when using a thin-layer flow cell configuration. As an application, the determination of thiram in spiked apple samples, at a level of 0.5 mg thiram kg(-1) apple, has been carried out with a mean recovery of 97 +/- 3% for a significance level of 0.05.     

Heavy metals in human urinary calculi

Summary Heavy metals are incorporated in human urinary calculi during a complex pathological process. The trace metals cadmium, lead, chromium, nickel and mercury are determined with regard to significance in pathogenesis and therapy. The amounts of cadmium, lead and chromium were determined as well directly in the solid sample as after chemical digestion by Zeeman-GFAAS. Both analyzing techniques show corresponding results. Nickel could be determined after chemical digestion only, while mercury was determined by a solid sampling technique. The evaluation of the results of trace metal analysis in the pilot study of 11 urinary calculi showed increased amounts of lead and cadmium compared to the results of tartar and salivary calculi.     

133Xe release during post-irradiation annealing of uranium metal in the presence of a constant volume of air

The fractional release of¹³³Xe at different temperatures was studied as a function of time in the presence of an atmosphere of air during post-irradiation annealing of uranium metal. It was found that the relation between the fractional release and t^1/2 is irregular. There is an initial step in the annealing curves (at the temperature range of 400–710°C) which decreases by increasing temperature and totally disappears at the high temperature of 800–1000 °C. The other parts of the release curves are typical for¹³³Xe release from uranium metal. The initial step was found to be due to the surface oxidation of uranium metal.     

The kinetics of radical polymerization—XXVII. Investigation of the radical reactivity of 3,3′- and 4,4′-disubstituted azobenzenes in the polymerization of vinylacetate

A study was made on the inhibition by some 3,3′- and 4,4′-disubstituted azobenzenes of the polymerization of vinylacetate initiated by azoisobutyronitrile at 50°. The inhibitory effects of these substances can be attributed to their ability to engage in radical addition giving a less reactive hydrazyl type radical. The mechanism of the inhibition has been established by ESR and kinetic (stoichiometric) measurements. The value of k₅/k₂ (characteristic of the reactivity of an inhibitor) was determined for 9 substituents. The radical reactivity of the aromatic azo group was decreased by electron donor substituents and increased by electron acceptors. The substituent effect can be well interpreted by the Hammett equation; the value of the reaction constant was ? = +0.53.     

Einige Aspekte der Quantitativen Röntgenemissionsanalyse Leichter Elemente bei Anregung Mit Schweren Teilchen

The aim of the paper is the simplification of calibration procedures in the investigation of multi-element-systems by calculating calibration curves. This requires, as well as taking into account the measuring geometry and the detector properties, above all the calculation of the number of the characteristic X-rays emitted by the sample per incident particle. For the calculation of the thick target yield a computer programme has been developed which makes possible a simple exchange of subroutines describing the stopping power of the sample, the cross-section of K-shell ionization, the fluorescence yield and the matrix absorption for the resulting K-X-rays of the elements contained in the sample. The agreement between experiment and calculation is discussed, when various approximations for the functions mentioned are used, as well as the possible influence of the grain size and surface roughness of the samples on the measurements, on which the calculations are based.      

Selektivierung geringer Mengen Kupfer mit Polyäthylenimin-Zellulose

Zusammenfassung Polyäthyleniminzellulosen sorbieren Cu²⁺ durch koordinative Bindung als Zentralion des sekundären Stickstoffs des Polyäthylenimins im P_H-Bereich 3,5 bis 4,5 selektiv aus verd. Lösungen. 10g Kupfer können von 10⁵fachen Überschüssen anderer Übergangsmetalle separiert, mit verd. Salzsäure eluiert und mit Diäthyldithiocarbamat photometrisch bestimmt werden. Das Verfahren eignet sich zur Erfassung von 0,001% Kupfer in Zink, Mangan, Kobalt, Nickel, Cadmium und Aluminium sowie aus Lösungen, deren Kupfergehalt 0,02 ppm beträgt.

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Selectivation of small amounts of copper with polyethyleneimine-cellulose

Summary Polyethyleneimine celluloses selectively sorb Cu²⁺ from dilute solutions through coordinative bonding as central ion of the secondary nitrogen of polyethyleneimine in the p_H-range of 3.5–4.5. 10g of copper may be separated from 10₅-fold excesses of other transition metals, then eluted with dilute hydrochloric acid and determined photometrically with diethyldithiocarbamate. The method is suitable for determining 0.001% copper in zinc, manganese, cobalt, nickel, cadmium, and aluminium as well as in solutions whose coppercontent is 0.02 ppm.

     

Peak distortion in the column liquid chromatographic determination of omeprazole dissolved in borax buffer.

Injection of a sample containing omeprazole dissolved in borax buffer (pH 9.2) into a reversed-phase liquid chromatographic system consisting of a mixture of acetonitrile and phosphate buffer (pH 7.6) as the mobile phase and a C18 surface-modified silica as the solid phase resulted under special conditions in split peaks of omeprazole. The degree of peak split and the retention time of omeprazole varied with the concentration of borax in the sample solution and the ionic strength of the mobile phase buffer as well as with the column used. Borax is eluted from the column in a broad zone starting from the void volume of the column. The retention is probably due to the presence of polyborate ions. The size of the zone varies with the concentration of borax in the sample injected. In the borax zone the pH is increased compared with the pH of the mobile phase, and when omeprazole (a weak acid) is co-eluting in the borax zone its retention is affected. In the front part and in the back part of the borax zone, pH gradients are formed, and these gradients can induce the peak splitting. When the dissolving medium is changed to a phosphate buffer or an ammonium buffer at pH 9 no peak distortion of omeprazole is observed.     

Alkaloids of the flora of Mongolia V. Turpelline — A new alkaloid fromAconitum turczaninowii

In the course of a further study of the alkaloids of the epigeal part of Aconitum turczaninowiia new alkaloid has been isolated, which has been named turpelline. A structure for turpelline has been proposed on the basis of a study of its IR, mass, PMR, ¹³ C NMR, and 2D COSY spectra.