A sensitive and accurate method has been developed for the determination of trace amounts of manganese and applicated to high-purity silicon, hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid. The method is based on the catalytic action of manganese on the oxidation of Malachite Green (MG) by periodate. Under the conditions, 4.32 × 10
-6 M MG, 4.25 × 10
-4 M potassium periodate, pH 3.8 buffered by acetate, ionic strength 0.1, and 31°C, a linear relationship was obtained between the initial concentration of manganese up to 100 ng and the observed first order rate constant
k which was evaluated from the logarithmic plot of the absorbance at 615 nm against the reaction time
t.
Using this relationship, manganese as low as 5 ng/ 20 m
l could be determined by measurements of the reaction rate.
Various factors affecting the reaction rate have been studied in detail.
As the pH increased, the reaction rate also increased but the reproducibility was not so satisfactory, and a deviation from the first order reaction was observed above pH 4.9.
The ionic strength extremely affected the reaction rate, namely, the rate constant
k decreased with an increase in the ionic strength.
An apparent change in the temperature dependence of the reaction rate was observed at about 29°C; the dependence on the temperature became only slight above this temperature as compared with that below it.
Making the experiments above 30°C and at low ionic strength is advantageous in order to obtain reproducible results and to reduce the time for the determination.
Iodide causes an accelerating effect on the reaction, while Fe(III) and Al(III) cause a deccelerating effect even the amounts a few μg levels. The interference by these ions can be eliminated or minimized by an addition of Hg(II) for I
- and of F
- for Fe(III) and Al(III), respectively. The time required for the analysis of one sample is about 50 min and the standard deviation at a manganese level of 50 ng is 3.0%.
Satisfactory results were obtained by the application of the following proposed method to the determination of trace amounts of manganese in high-purity silicon, hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid.
Silicon: dissolve the sample in a mixture of hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid in a platinum dish, followed by an addition of a small amount of sulfuric acid, and expel the acids and silicon tetrafluoride by heating on a sand bath. Add two drops of a mixed solution (HCl+ H
2O
2) and 1 m
l of 1
M sulfuric acid. Evaporate to slightly white fumes evolution, cool and then add buffer solution and ammonia water to adjust the pH to 3.8. Manganese is then determined by the procedure described above. Hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid: evaporate the sample with 1 m
l of 1
M sulfuric acid to slightly white fuming and manganese is determined by the same procedures in the case of silicon.
By this proposed method manganese as small amounts as 5 ng in the sample (0.5 g of silicon, 5 m
l of hydrofluoric acid or nitric acid) can be determined.
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