A rapid geochemical spectrophotometric determination of tungsten with dithiol.
1-g sample is decomposed with nitric and hydrofluoric acids, and after evaporation of the solution to dryness the residue is dissolved in concentrated hydrochloric acid. A clear aliquot is treated with stannous chloride to inhibit interferences. The blue tungsten dithiol complex is developed at a temperature of 85 degrees over a half-hour period. The complex is extracted into 2 ml of heptane and the tungsten is determined spectrophotometrically with a sensitivity of 0.5 ppm. Fifty samples per man-day can be analysed in this manner.
Welsch
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U.S. Geological Survey, Box 25046, Denver, CO 80225, U.S.A.