DETERMINATION OF ZINC AND MANGANESE IN EMULSIFIED ORGANIC REACTANTS BY ATOMIC-ABSORPTION SPECTROMETRY

Heavy metals in organic solvents can be determined by emulsifying samples in excess water using strong detergents such as Triton X-100. Such an emulsion may be nebulised directly into an atomic absorption spectrometer, the analysis being as fast and accurate as with standard aqueous samples. The experiments reported concern the determinations of zinc and manganese in kerosene solutions of bis-2-ethylhexylphosphoric acid, but the technique should be applicable to other hydrometallurgical processes.