Determination of antimony using the hydride AAS technique

1 Determination of antimony using the hydride AAS technique General remarks 

Antimony ions are reduced to antimony hydride by means of sodium boro-hydride, transferred to a heated quartz cuvette with the aid of a current of inert gas, decomposed thermally, and the absorption of the atoms is measured in the beam of an atomic-absorption spectrometer. In the hydride technique, the element which is to be determined is volatilized as a gaseous hydride and separated off from the matrix. 

Interferences may occur if there is a considerable excess of elements such as tin, arsenic, bismuth, mercury, selenium or tellurium, which may also be volatilized using this technique. Above all heavy metals such as copper and nickel have a disturbing effect during the hydride formation itself. Since antimony (III) and antimony (V) are not equally sensitive when determined by the hydride technique, antimony (V) should be reduced to antimony (III) before determination (prereduction). 

Dissolve 3 g NaBHz and 1 g NaOH in water and make up to 100 ml. Prereduction solution  

Atomic-absorption spectrometer with hydride attachment 

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