Electrographic Determination of Magnesium in Magnesium Alloys and Zirconium in Zirconium Alloys

Abstract

Rapid electrographic determination of magnesium in magnesium-aluminum or magnesium-nickel alloys and zirconium in zirconium-nickel alloys was worked out. The method consisted of stripping of alloy constituents into a filter paper moistened with a supporting electrolyte solution and then measuring the intensity of color developed spectrophotometrically on the paper with color reagent. Suggested electrolyte solutions were 0.5 M roschel salt for magnesium alloys and 0.5 M NH₄Cl for zirconium alloys. After electrographic stripping (4 V, 10 mA, 10 sec for magnesium and 20 sec for zirconium) of alloy constituents into the filter paper coupled with pressure 2 kg per 6.25 m², the filter paper was treated with a saturated ethyl alcohol solution of quinalizarin for magnesium and with an ethyl alcoholic solution of 0.5% alizarin for zirconium to develop the colored pattern to be measured at 560 mμ and 510 mμ, respectively. The method seems to be of special value for rapid and practically nondestructive determination of magnesium and zirconium in their alloys.