Dc arc emission analysis of rare earth metals and their oxides with sorption preconcentration of impurities

Abstract

The analytical capabilities of arc atomic emission determination of As, Bi, Sb, Cu, Te in rare earth metals (REM) and their oxides after preparatory group concentration using S,N-containing heterochain polymer sorbent are studied on a high-resolution spectrometer “Grand- Extra” (“WMC-Optoelectron-ics” company, Russia). Sorption kinetics and dependence of the degree of the impurity extraction on the solution acidity are analyzed to specify conditions of sorption concentration. To optimize the procedure of arc atomic emission determination of As, Bi, Sb, Cu, and Te various schemes of their sorption preconcentration and subsequent processing of the resulted concentrate with the addition of a collector at different stages of the sorption process have been considered. Graphite powder is used as a collector in analysis of rare earth oxides due to universality and relative simplicity of the emission spectrum. Conditions of analysis and parameters of the spectrometer that affect the analytical signal (mass and composition of the sample, shape and size of the electrodes, current intensity and generator operation mode, interelectrode spacing, wavelengths of the analytical lines) are chosen. The evaporation curves of the determinable impurities were studied and the exposure time of As, Bi, Sb, Cu, and Te in the resulted sorption concentrate was determined. Correctness of the obtained results was evaluated using standard samples of the composition and in comparisons between methods. The results of the study are used to develop a method of arc chemical-atomic emission analysis of yttrium, gadolinium, neodymium, europium, scandium and their oxides in a concentration range of n x (10-2 - 10-5) wt.%.