Silver Coflotation with Iron(III) and Cobalt(III) Hexamethylenedithiocarbamate Salts Prior to its Determination by Electrothermal Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

Abstract

Two coflotation methods for separation of silver in traces from water matrices using iron(III) hexamethylenedithiocarbamate, Fe(HMDTC)₃, and cobalt(III) hexamethylenedithiocarbamate, Co(HMDTC)₃, as collectors were proposed. After coflotation silver was determined by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS). The optimal conditions for effective silver coflotation performed separately by each collector were established. The results of ETAAS analyses are compared with those obtained by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The limit of detection of ETAAS using both Fe(HMDTC)₃ and Co(HMDTC)₂ as collectors is 0.003 μg/L Ag.

Key Words:

• Silver
• water
• coflotation
• iron(III) hexamethylenedithiocarbamate
• cobalt(III) hexamethylenedithiocarbamate
• electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry