Rapid procedure for the determination of gold at sub-ppm levels in geological samples by atomic absorption spectrometry.
A rapid and reliable procedure for the determination of gold in geological samples is reported that involves MnO(2) and HCl treatment of the samples followed by ethyl acetate extraction of gold and determination at the ppm and sub-ppm levels by flame atomic absorption spectrometry after evaporating off the organic solvent. The method was tested for the quantitative recovery of gold from the standard sample from the Kolar gold field and four other thoroughly analysed in-house standards from the Otha area, India. The procedure offers distinct improvements in speed of analysis and environmental safety. The higher RSD of the data is attributed ot the "nugget" effect.
Kumar Singh
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