Colorimetric determination of carbon in titanium

A method is proposed for the colorimetric determination of carbon in titanium. In the method the sample is dissolved in a mixture of sulfuric and fluoboric acids, and nitric acid is added to dissolve the titanium carbide. The solution is boiled and filtered, and the yellow coloration from the nitrated organic complex is read with a spectrophotometer. A spectrophotometric study of the color was made. A comparison was made between the colorimetric determination of carbon in titanium and the colorimetric determination of carbon in steels. The proposed method is rapid and is readily adaptable to the determination of carbon in a large number of samples at one time. The procedure is designed for titanium containing up to 0.7 per cent. carbon. None of the elements encountered in “commercially pure” titanium metal interferes.