Improvements in the Fluorometric Determination of Submicrogram Quantities of Beryllium

Journal Article · Wed Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1961 · Analytical Chemistry

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ac60180a019· OSTI ID:4838257

Sill, C. W.; Willis, C. P.; Flygare, J. K.

A recently published procedure for the fluorometric determination of beryllium using morin was improved significantly, and its application was extended. Stabilization of alkaline solutions of morin toward air was accomplished without use of stannite or other reducing agents. Use of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid in place of lethylenedinitrilo)-tetraacetic acid prevents formation of fluorescent complexes of morin with scandium, yttrium, and lanthanum, and increases the selectivity greatly. A new combination of primary and secondary filters produces a threefold increase in the ratio of net beryllium fluorescence to blank fluorescence while requiring an instrumental sensitivity only one fourth that obtained with the previous combination. Since the exciting wave lengths are entirely in the visible region of the spectrum, errors produced by colorless ions that absorb in the ultraviolet are eliminated. One of the most important discoveries was the extensive adsorption of beryllium from alkaline solution on the glass walls of the container. The fluorescent species contains beryllium and morin in a mole ratio of 1 to 1. Detailed procedures are presented for the determination of beryllium in metallic thorium, zirconium, uranium, copper alloys, and aluminum, in rare earth oxides and phosphates, and in silicates such as beryl and clay that are not decomposed completely by either pyrosulfate fusion or hydrofluoiic acid. Beryllium can be determined in air dusts at concentrations well below the maximum permissible levels without separations of any kind in approximately 30 minutes.

• Research Organization: U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, Idaho Falls, Idaho
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-15-032100
• OSTI ID: 4838257
• Journal Information: Analytical Chemistry, Journal Name: Analytical Chemistry Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 33; ISSN 0003-2700
• Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
ADSORPTION
AIR
ALKALI METALS
ALUMINUM
BERYLLIUM
COLOR
COMPLEXES
COPPER ALLOYS
DUSTS
EDTA
FILTERS
FLUORESCENCE
GLASS
HYDROFLUORIC ACID
INSTRUMENTS
LANTHANUM
MEASURED VALUES
MELTING
METALS
MINERALS
MORIN
OXIDES
PHOSPHATES
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS
RARE EARTHS
REDUCTION
SCANDIUM
SENSITIVITY
SILICATES
SOLUTIONS
SPECTRA
THORIUM
TIN COMPOUNDS
URANIUM
USES
VESSELS
YTTRIUM
ZIRCONIUM