For the determination of microarnounts of silicon (01.5μg) in pure iron after the separation of iron by mercury cathode electolysis, a spectrophotometric method by chloroform extraction of the complex of molybdenum blue and polyoxyethylenelaurylamine was studied as follows.
One tenth gram of sample is dissolved in exactly 10m
l of sulfuric acid (3:160) and 2m
l of hydrogen peroxide (15%) and the iron is removed by mercury cathode electrolysis. The solution is diluted to exact 100m
l with distilled water. A 25m
l aliquot is placed in a polyethylene beaker and diluted to about 100m
l with water. After 2m
l of ammonium molybdate solution (5%) is added and the mixture is stood for 15 min.5m
l of oxalic acid solution (5%) is added with stirring and the mixture is stood for 5 min. After 5m
l of sulfuric acid (1:3) and 5m
l of the reducing reagent (stannous oxalate 2.2g, oxalic acid 4.2g, sodium formate 4.0g, formic acid 2.4m
l, and water 240m
l) were added, the mixture is stood for 10min, and placed in a polyethylene separatory funnel.
Two m
l of polyoxyethylenelaurylamine solution (5%, in sulfuric acid 1:3) and 5.00m
l of chloroform were added and the mixture is shaken by a shaker for 3min. Silicon is determined by measuring absorbance of the organic layer at 800 or 655mμ against the blank solution.
Twenty micrograms of each of Al, As, B, Ca, Ce, Co, Cr, Cu, Mg, Mn, Mo, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Sn, Ta, Ti, V, W, and Zn do not interfere.
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