Determination of trace amounts of antimony, germanium and tin in high-purity iron by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry after reductive coprecipitation with palladium

Abstract

Trace amounts of antimony, germanium and tin in high-purity iron were quantitatively separated by a reductive coprecipitation technique with palladium, and determined by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. When sodium phosphinate (NaPH₂O₂) was used as a reductant, antimony and germanium could be separated simultaneously from large amounts of iron. Similarly, when sodium tetrahydroborate (NaBH₄) was used, germanium and tin could also be separated simultaneously. The atomic absorbances of antimony, germanium and tin were increased by about 1.5, 3.7 and 4.5 times, respectively, in the presence of palladium. The limits of detection (corresponding to three times the standard deviation of the blank) of antimony, germanium and tin were 0.01₉, 0.01₀ and 0.03₁µg g^–1, respectively.