The proposed method for determination of tantalum involves the extraction of the colored brilliant green fluorotantalate from a tartaric acid medium by benzene, and the measurement of absorbance of the extract.
Various influencing factors such as pH, concentrations of hydrofluoric acid and brilliant green, concentration of tartaric acid, phase ratio, diverse ions, etc. have been studied, and the optimum conditions for the estimation of tantalum have been determined.
The recomended procedure: (1) When the sample contains more than 0.1% tantalum, 0.1 g of sample is taken in a platinum dish and decomposed with 5 m
l of hydrofluoric acid, followed by a few drops of nitric acid. The solution is heated with 1.0 m
l of sulfuric acid and evaporated to fumes to expel hydrofluoric and nitric acids. The residue separated out is dissolved with 50 m
l of 20% tartaric acid solution by heating on a hot water bath, and the pH is adjusted to 1.751.80 with ammonia. It is then made up to 100 m
l with water. An aliquot less than 3.0 m
l of this solution is taken into a 100 m
l separatory funnel, and added with a definite volume of buffer solution (10% tartaric acid adjusted the pH to 1.751.80 with ammonia) required to make the final volume of the aqueous phase 30 m
l. To this are added, successively, 5.0 m
l of 0.1% brilliant green solution, 4.0 m
l of hydrofluoric acid (1.0
N), and 10.0 m
l of benzene.
The funnel is shaken vigorously for 2 minutes, and the two layers are allowed to separate by standing for 23 minutes. Immediately after the drainage of the aqueous layer, the absorbance of the benzene layer is measured at 640 mμ in a 1 cm cell against benzene.
(2) When the sample contains less than 0.1% tantalum, 0.51.0 g of sample is decomposed according to procedure (1). The solution is evaporated to fumes with 8.0 m
l of sulfuric acid cooled and added with 4.0 m
l of hydrofluoric acid (7.0
N). It is poured into a 100 m
l-separatory funnel and the total volume is adjusted to 40 m
l with water. After cooling, it is shaken vigorously with 20 m
l of hexone for 2 minutes. The combined hexone extract from successive two extractions is evaporated with 20 m
l of water, 2.5 m
l of hydrofluoric acid and 1.0 m
l of sulfuric acid to white fume of sulfuric acid, and then tantalum is determined by the procedure (1).
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