title: A simple vapour phase decomposition (VPD) of quartz powder in a polypropylene vessel and determination of phosphorus by spectrophotometry.
abstract: A simple, low pressure, low temperature vapour phase decomposition (VPD) of quartz powder has been developed for the determination of phosphorus. A platinum dish containing the quartz or silicon powder was placed inside a polypropylene vessel containing 40 ml of 1:1 mixture of HF and HNO(3). After capping the vessel, the entire assembly was heated on a water bath at approximately 90 degrees C for 8 h. The platinum dish was removed from the vessel, the sample solution was treated with 0.5 ml of H(2)SO(4) and 0.5 ml of HClO(4) and was heated on a hot plate till HClO(4) fumed out. The resultant solution was diluted to 40 ml ( approximately 0.4N), analysed for phosphorus by spectrophotometry as an ion-pair of molybdophosphate with crystal violet. Phosphorus contamination by reagents has been drastically reduced (around 250 times) compared to the conventional dissolution procedure. The optimum reaction conditions were [H(+)]=0.42N, [H(+)]/Mo=62 for the formation of molybdophosphate and its extraction into n-butyl acetate. No interferences due to fluoride, silicate (active silica) and arsenic (V) upto 6.7x10(3),2.7x10(3) and 2.0x10(3) times the content of phosphorus, respectively were observed. The LOD was found to be 0.066 mug g(-1) (+/-3 s). RSD is 0.4-2.3% and the molar absorptivity is 2.7x10(5) l mole(-1) cm(-1).
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Compositional Characterisation of Materials, ECIL (PO), Hyderabad 500 062, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thangavel
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dash
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chaurasia