Quantitative determination of thiourea in aqueous solution in the presence of sulphur dioxide by Raman spectroscopy

Abstract

A method has been developed for the quantitative determination of thiourea in aqueous solutions acidified with sulphuric acid in the presence of sulphur dioxide. The method uses laser Raman spectroscopy and is valid in the presence of high concentrations of sulphur dioxide and inorganic salts. This is particularly important with respect to the use of such solutions for the leaching of gold from ores and concentrates. The method is simple, rapid and accurate to within ±1.2% and has been applied to the study of solutions used in leaching experiments.