Effect of sample preparation methods on photometric determination of the tellurium and cobalt content in the samples of copper concentrates

Methods of determination of cobalt and nickel in copper concentrates currently used in factory laboratories are very labor intensive and time consuming. The limiting stage of the analysis is preliminary chemical sample preparation. Carrying out the decomposition process of industrial samples with concentrated mineral acids in open systems does not allow to improve the metrological characteristics of the methods, for this reason improvement the methods of sample preparation is quite relevant and has a practical interest. The work was dedicated to the determination of the optimal conditions of preliminary chemical preparation of copper concentrate samples for the subsequent determination of cobalt and tellurium in the obtained solution using tellurium-spectrophotometric method. Decomposition of the samples was carried out by acid dissolving in individual mineral acids and their mixtures by heating in an open system as well as by using ultrasonification and microwave radiation in a closed system. In order to select the optimal conditions for the decomposition of the samples in a closed system the phase contact time and ultrasonic generator’s power were varied. Intensification of the processes of decomposition of copper concentrates with nitric acid (1:1), ultrasound and microwave radiation allowed to transfer quantitatively cobalt and tellurium into solution spending 20 and 30 min respectively. This reduced the amount of reactants used and improved the accuracy of determination by running the process in strictly identical conditions.