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.