The determination of potassium and sodium in coal ash

Methods are described for the rapid determination of sodium and potassium in coal ash. The ash is decomposed by a Lawrence Smith ignition: sodium is determined as sodium zinc uranyl acetate (gravimetncally or titrimctrically) on an aliquot of the aqueous extract, and potassium is determined gravunctrically as potassium tetraphenylboron on a second aliquot.Other methods for completing the determination were examined but were less satisfactory. The flame photometer method although less reproducible than other methods is extremely rapid and is probably accurate enough for routine purposes.