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Silica modified with arsenazo-III; thorium, zirconium, and scandium determination; inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry; rock sample.

A simple, selective and rapid determination procedure for Th, Zr and Sc in rock samples using adsorbent silica modified with arsenazo-III is described. Silica modified with arsenazo-III (SAR-III) was synthesised by a single step process in presence of cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide. Effect of pH, amount of adsorbent, contact time for adsorption and the optimum eluent for the quantitative recovery of Th, Zr and Sc were investigated. Optimum conditions selected for the selective extraction of these elements by SAR III are pH-3, 0.2 g adsorbent, contact time 30 minutes and 10 mL of 5 % ammonium oxalateas eluent. Adsorption capacities of SAR III for Th, Zr and Sc are 5.68, 23.9 and 4.42 mg g^-1, respectively. Effect of major elements present in the rock on the pre-concentration of these elements was investigated. Interference of iron was eliminated by reducing ferric iron with hydroxylamine hydrochloride. The methodwas validated by applying the procedure to synthetic rock sample solutions and certified geological reference materials SY-2 (CCRMP, Canada), BCR-1 (USGS), GSN (ANRT, France) and AGV-1(USGS). Detection limits obtained for Th and Zr by this method are 1 mg g^-1 and that of Sc is 0.1 mg g^-1. The relative standarddeviation of the method at 1 mg g^-1 was in the range of 1.0–2.5%

BINCY CYRIAC¹ MASTAN VALI² NISHMA OJHA² SMEER DURANI³

1. Chemistry Laboratory, Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research, Central Region, Civil Lines, Nagpur 440001, India
2. Chemistry Laboratory, Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research, Southern Region, Nagarbhavi, Bangalore 560072, India
3. Chemistry Laboratory, Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research, Northern Region, R.K. Puram, New Delhi 110066, India

Published

1 August 2020

Manuscript received

6 December 2019

Manuscript revised

3 March 2020

Accepted

3 March 2020