The cloud point extraction of copper(II) with monocarboxylic acids into non-ionic surfactant phase

The possibility to use monocarboxylic acids and their mixtures with amines for copper concentrating by the way of micellar extraction at cloud point temperature, and later atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) determination was investigated. Under the optimum conditions, preconcentration of 100 ml of water sample in the presence of 1% non-ionic surfactant OP-10, 0.005 M capric acid and 0.01 M octylamine permitted the detection of 0.01 μg ml⁻¹ copper. The proposed method has been applied to the AAS determination of copper in water samples after cloud point extraction.