Abstract

The suppressive interference of aluminum in the atomic absorption determination of calcium or magnesium has been commonly reported. Use of the high-temperature nitrous oxide-acetylene flame has also been shown to eliminate this interference. Prior to availability of this flame, use of controlling or releasing agents such as Sr salts, La, La+ EDTA, Ca, and oxine have been employed to compensate for this effect. Further tests in this laboratory using a Perkin–Elmer model 303 spectrophotometer and a fuel-rich air acetylene flame have shown 1% (w/v) of ammonium citrate or tartrate, oxalic acid, sodium nitrite, disodium EDTA, or sugar have little or no controlling action on aluminum at the pH of the dissolved salts. However, 0.5% (w/v) of hydroxylamine hydrochloride or 0.1% (w/v) of ethanolamine can compensate for 100-ppm A1 in determining 2-ppm Mg. Such releasing agents apparently exert a preferential reaction with either the aluminum or magnesium in the flame, allowing the magnesium compound to dissociate and manifest the atomic absorption phenomenon.

Nitrous Oxide Supported Flames for Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy

L. R. P. Butler and Anne Fulton
Appl. Opt. 7(10) 2131-2137 (1968)

The Effect of Alkali and Alkaline Earth Salts on the Spectrographic Determination of Strontium*

E. Fast and J. Rud Nielsen
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 37(8) 614-622 (1947)

Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy with High Temperature Flames

J. B. Willis
Appl. Opt. 7(7) 1295-1304 (1968)

Spectroscopy of ³P⁰ states of alkaline earths

P. Esherick, J. J. Wynne, and J. A. Armstrong
Opt. Lett. 1(1) 19-21 (1977)

The Application of Separated Flames in Analytical Flame Spectroscopy

G. F. Kirkbright and T. S. West
Appl. Opt. 7(7) 1305-1311 (1968)