Determination of tin, bismuth, antimony, indium, gallium and arsenic by solvent extraction cum atomic absorption spectrophotometry

A rapid atomic absorption spectrometric method for the determination of tin, antimony, bismuth, indium, gallium and arsenic in geological materials, steels and alloys is described. The samples are fused with sodium peroxide (for geological samples such as cassiterite and sulphides) or decomposed with sulphuric/hydrochloric acid mixture or by alkaline fusion (for silicates or bauxites) or by acid treatment (for steels, alloys and certain geological samples). The elements of interest are extracted as their iodides into methyl isobutyl ketone, stripped into aqueous solution by treatment with benzene, concentrated nitric acid and water, and determined by flame atomic-absorption spectrometry. Detailed study is made on stripping of the metals from organic phase as there no simple and rapid stripping procedures available. The method allows the determination of Sn, Sb, Bi and In down to 2 ppm and Ga down to 5 ppm. The relative standard deviations range up to 10% with an average of 2.5%. Apparent recoveries of these metals range from 90 to 110 with an average of 95% for Sb and 99% for others.