Neutron activation analysis of traces in electrolytic zinc sulphate solutions : Part III. Simultaneous determination of tellurium,selenium, arsenic and antimony

A neutron activation analysis is described for the simultaneous determination of tellurium, selenium, arsenic and antimony in an electrolytic zinc sulphate solution. The activity induced in the tellurium was measured by means of its radioactive daughter ¹³¹I. The chemical separation of iodine was performed by extraction into carbon tetrachloride. The interference due to the fission of uranium was minimised by a preseparation of uranium. The isotope ⁷⁵Se was measured by a γ, γ-coincidcnce technique, which allowed the determination of 0.002 μg Se/ml. Selenium was chemically separated by extraction as piazselenol. Arsenic and antimony were separated by precipitation as sulphide and distillation as chloride. The isotopes ⁷⁶As and ¹²²Sb were measured γ-spectrometrically, amounts of 0.02 μg/ml being determined. The method is also suitable, although not very sensitive, for the simultaneous determination of tin and germanium.