Analysis of Copper Refinery Electrolyte by a Condensed D.C. Arc Solution Technique

Abstract

A rapid and accurate procedure is described for the estimation of impurities in solutions, m particular copper refinery tank house electrolytes. The solutions are excited in a condensed d.c. arc discharge on flat surface graphite electrodes which have been treated to provide uniform porosity. Cobalt has been found satisfactory as an internal standard for the determination of the impurities arsenic, antimony, bismuth, iron, and nickel with an accuracy in the order of ±3% of the amount present Considerations governing the selection of the internal standard and the type of electrodes are discussed.