Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Availability

Open Access Thesis

Keywords

Atomic absorption spectroscopy; Rare earths; Solvents;

Abstract

Atomic absorption of the rare earths erbium, europium, and dysprosium was studied in 10% organic solvent-water systems, water miscible solvent-water systems, and in 100% solvent solutions of the metal acetylacetonates. Sensitivity was found to depend on the solvent system used and instrument parameters. All solvent systems used enhanced absorption, with (1) higher number of carbon atoms, (2) tertiary and secondary alcohols, and (3) high boiling point solvents producing the largest increase in absorption. No significant viscosity relationships existed in the 10% solvent-water systems for either miscible or partially soluble solvents; however, viscosity might have been a factor in absorption in the miscible solvent-water systems. In the miscible solvent-water systems, tertiary and secondary alcohols produced maximum absorption followed by decreasing absorption while the normal alcohols gave generally increasing absorption as the v/v % of solvent increased. Analytical curves in the varying solvent systems were acceptable and gave higher sensitivity than aqueous solutions. The higher sensitivity did restrict concentration range. The acetylacetonates gave good sensitivity in the 100% organic solvent systems. The maximum sensitivities in the 10% solvent-water systems were obtained in secondary butyl alcohol. In the water miscible solvent systems acetonitrile gave the greatest enhancement for erbium and europium while ethanol was best for dysprosium. The 100% organic solvent solutions of the acetylacetonates produced the greatest enhancement found. There was a four fold increase of absorption for erbium, a four and one half fold increase for europium, and nearly a four fold increase for dysprosium over aqueous solutions.

Year of Submission

1973

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Department of Chemistry

First Advisor

Ching Woo

Second Advisor

James G. Macmillan

Third Advisor

Sin-Tao Hsue

Comments

If you are the rightful copyright holder of this thesis and wish to have it removed from the Open Access Collection, please submit a request to scholarworks@uni.edu and include clear identification of the work, preferably with URL.

Date Original

1973

Object Description

1 PDF file (67 leaves)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

Included in

Chemistry Commons

Share

COinS