Spectrophotometric determination of magnesium in tobacco leaves with Eriochrome black B

Abstract

A spectrophotometric method for the determination of magnesium in tobacco leaves with Eriochrome black B is described. After destruction of the tobacco leaves with a mixture of nitric, perchloric and sulphuric acids, the magnesium is separated from interfering ions by ion-exchange chromatography on Dowex 50W-X12, 100 to 200 mesh, and determined spectrophotometrically after coupling it with Eriochrome black B. The accuracy of the method was tested against a reference material.