Determination of Rhenium in Tungsten and Molybdenum Ore by ICP-MS with Lefort Aqua Regia Microwave Digestion and 8-hydroxyquinoline Precipitation

BACKGROUNDRhenium (Re) is a key mineral resource widely used in the aerospace field. As one of the rarest elements in the earth, Re rarely exists as an independent mineral but is dispersed in various sulfide ores. Due to its low content and dispersed distribution, the highly sensitive and accurate q...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yufang XIAO, Yiping JI, Xiaorong REN, Zhigui CHEN, Xuelin DONG, Qinfeng ZHANG
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Science Press, PR China 2023-10-01
Series:Yankuang ceshi
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.ykcs.ac.cn/article/doi/10.15898/j.ykcs.202307310108
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850226228428013568
author Yufang XIAO
Yiping JI
Xiaorong REN
Zhigui CHEN
Xuelin DONG
Qinfeng ZHANG
author_facet Yufang XIAO
Yiping JI
Xiaorong REN
Zhigui CHEN
Xuelin DONG
Qinfeng ZHANG
author_sort Yufang XIAO
collection DOAJ
description BACKGROUNDRhenium (Re) is a key mineral resource widely used in the aerospace field. As one of the rarest elements in the earth, Re rarely exists as an independent mineral but is dispersed in various sulfide ores. Due to its low content and dispersed distribution, the highly sensitive and accurate quantification of Re (ng/g) in complex ore is one of the challenges of modern geological analysis. In order to solve the problem of incomplete decomposition and the great interference caused by co-dissolution of high abundance matrix elements, the existing “digestion-separation” method using 8-12h for one sample is complicated, time-consuming and labor-intensive. Therefore, the development of a simple, fast and low-cost method is urgently required.OBJECTIVESTo establish an analytical method based on Lefort aqua regia microwave digestion, molybdenum and tungsten precipitation, ICP-mass spectrometry for the determination of rhenium in ore.METHODSLefort aqua regia microwave digestion was used to fully decompose ore, and then the organic precipitator 8-hydroxyquinoline (8-HQ) was used to selectively precipitate high-abundance matrix interference elements molybdenum (Mo) and tungsten (W) in the acid-ammonium acetate buffer system (pH 4.5). The organic precipitator 8-HQ was used to precipitate Mo and W to produce stable hydroxyquinoline molybdenum [MoO2(C9H6ON)2] and tungsten [WO2(C9H6ON)2], thereby removing the high-abundance Mo and W in the digestion solution and reducing the interference of matrix on the quantitative analysis of Re. The relevant parameters of Lefort aqua regia microwave digestion and 8-HQ precipitation were systematically studied, and the digestion and precipitation properties were deeply studied by using national certified reference materials.RESULTSThe key parameters that influence ore digestion including volume of Lefort aqua regia and temperature of microwave digestion, were determined as 2.8mL and 130℃ for step 1 and 150℃ for step 2 separately. The addition amount of 8-HQ was also determined as 0.2mL (3%, w%) by comparing precipitation rates of W, Mo and W-Mo solution (25µg/mL) under different amounts, and results showed that the precipitation rate was greater than 95% in different ore digestion solutions. In the established method, the detection limit of Re was 6.9ng/g, the relative error was 0.71%-6.07%, and the RSD was less than 5%.CONCLUTIONSThe method established in this study can effectively eliminate the interference of matrix elements molybdenum and tungsten on Re quantification without introducing new interference elements. Compared with the existing “digestion-separation” process, the method is simpler and faster (shortened from 8-12h for one sample to approximately 1h) and the method has been successfully applied in molybdenum ore, rhenium molybdenum ore and tungsten-tin bismuth ore. This study proves that interfering instead of target element precipitation is feasible and provides a simple, fast and low-cost method for accurate quantification of Re in complex ore.
format Article
id doaj-art-c329da132e7d4116becaa3201208d2dc
institution OA Journals
issn 0254-5357
language English
publishDate 2023-10-01
publisher Science Press, PR China
record_format Article
series Yankuang ceshi
spelling doaj-art-c329da132e7d4116becaa3201208d2dc2025-08-20T02:05:07ZengScience Press, PR ChinaYankuang ceshi0254-53572023-10-0142591592210.15898/j.ykcs.202307310108yk202307310108Determination of Rhenium in Tungsten and Molybdenum Ore by ICP-MS with Lefort Aqua Regia Microwave Digestion and 8-hydroxyquinoline PrecipitationYufang XIAO0Yiping JI1Xiaorong REN2Zhigui CHEN3Xuelin DONG4Qinfeng ZHANG5Wuhan Geological Research Laboratory, Wuhan 430034, ChinaWuhan Geological Research Laboratory, Wuhan 430034, ChinaWuhan Geological Research Laboratory, Wuhan 430034, ChinaWuhan Geological Research Laboratory, Wuhan 430034, ChinaWuhan Geological Research Laboratory, Wuhan 430034, ChinaWuhan Geological Research Laboratory, Wuhan 430034, ChinaBACKGROUNDRhenium (Re) is a key mineral resource widely used in the aerospace field. As one of the rarest elements in the earth, Re rarely exists as an independent mineral but is dispersed in various sulfide ores. Due to its low content and dispersed distribution, the highly sensitive and accurate quantification of Re (ng/g) in complex ore is one of the challenges of modern geological analysis. In order to solve the problem of incomplete decomposition and the great interference caused by co-dissolution of high abundance matrix elements, the existing “digestion-separation” method using 8-12h for one sample is complicated, time-consuming and labor-intensive. Therefore, the development of a simple, fast and low-cost method is urgently required.OBJECTIVESTo establish an analytical method based on Lefort aqua regia microwave digestion, molybdenum and tungsten precipitation, ICP-mass spectrometry for the determination of rhenium in ore.METHODSLefort aqua regia microwave digestion was used to fully decompose ore, and then the organic precipitator 8-hydroxyquinoline (8-HQ) was used to selectively precipitate high-abundance matrix interference elements molybdenum (Mo) and tungsten (W) in the acid-ammonium acetate buffer system (pH 4.5). The organic precipitator 8-HQ was used to precipitate Mo and W to produce stable hydroxyquinoline molybdenum [MoO2(C9H6ON)2] and tungsten [WO2(C9H6ON)2], thereby removing the high-abundance Mo and W in the digestion solution and reducing the interference of matrix on the quantitative analysis of Re. The relevant parameters of Lefort aqua regia microwave digestion and 8-HQ precipitation were systematically studied, and the digestion and precipitation properties were deeply studied by using national certified reference materials.RESULTSThe key parameters that influence ore digestion including volume of Lefort aqua regia and temperature of microwave digestion, were determined as 2.8mL and 130℃ for step 1 and 150℃ for step 2 separately. The addition amount of 8-HQ was also determined as 0.2mL (3%, w%) by comparing precipitation rates of W, Mo and W-Mo solution (25µg/mL) under different amounts, and results showed that the precipitation rate was greater than 95% in different ore digestion solutions. In the established method, the detection limit of Re was 6.9ng/g, the relative error was 0.71%-6.07%, and the RSD was less than 5%.CONCLUTIONSThe method established in this study can effectively eliminate the interference of matrix elements molybdenum and tungsten on Re quantification without introducing new interference elements. Compared with the existing “digestion-separation” process, the method is simpler and faster (shortened from 8-12h for one sample to approximately 1h) and the method has been successfully applied in molybdenum ore, rhenium molybdenum ore and tungsten-tin bismuth ore. This study proves that interfering instead of target element precipitation is feasible and provides a simple, fast and low-cost method for accurate quantification of Re in complex ore.http://www.ykcs.ac.cn/article/doi/10.15898/j.ykcs.202307310108lefort aqua regia microwave digestion8-hydroxyquinoline precipitationsimple and fasttungsten and molybdenum orerhenium
spellingShingle Yufang XIAO
Yiping JI
Xiaorong REN
Zhigui CHEN
Xuelin DONG
Qinfeng ZHANG
Determination of Rhenium in Tungsten and Molybdenum Ore by ICP-MS with Lefort Aqua Regia Microwave Digestion and 8-hydroxyquinoline Precipitation
Yankuang ceshi
lefort aqua regia microwave digestion
8-hydroxyquinoline precipitation
simple and fast
tungsten and molybdenum ore
rhenium
title Determination of Rhenium in Tungsten and Molybdenum Ore by ICP-MS with Lefort Aqua Regia Microwave Digestion and 8-hydroxyquinoline Precipitation
title_full Determination of Rhenium in Tungsten and Molybdenum Ore by ICP-MS with Lefort Aqua Regia Microwave Digestion and 8-hydroxyquinoline Precipitation
title_fullStr Determination of Rhenium in Tungsten and Molybdenum Ore by ICP-MS with Lefort Aqua Regia Microwave Digestion and 8-hydroxyquinoline Precipitation
title_full_unstemmed Determination of Rhenium in Tungsten and Molybdenum Ore by ICP-MS with Lefort Aqua Regia Microwave Digestion and 8-hydroxyquinoline Precipitation
title_short Determination of Rhenium in Tungsten and Molybdenum Ore by ICP-MS with Lefort Aqua Regia Microwave Digestion and 8-hydroxyquinoline Precipitation
title_sort determination of rhenium in tungsten and molybdenum ore by icp ms with lefort aqua regia microwave digestion and 8 hydroxyquinoline precipitation
topic lefort aqua regia microwave digestion
8-hydroxyquinoline precipitation
simple and fast
tungsten and molybdenum ore
rhenium
url http://www.ykcs.ac.cn/article/doi/10.15898/j.ykcs.202307310108
work_keys_str_mv AT yufangxiao determinationofrheniumintungstenandmolybdenumorebyicpmswithlefortaquaregiamicrowavedigestionand8hydroxyquinolineprecipitation
AT yipingji determinationofrheniumintungstenandmolybdenumorebyicpmswithlefortaquaregiamicrowavedigestionand8hydroxyquinolineprecipitation
AT xiaorongren determinationofrheniumintungstenandmolybdenumorebyicpmswithlefortaquaregiamicrowavedigestionand8hydroxyquinolineprecipitation
AT zhiguichen determinationofrheniumintungstenandmolybdenumorebyicpmswithlefortaquaregiamicrowavedigestionand8hydroxyquinolineprecipitation
AT xuelindong determinationofrheniumintungstenandmolybdenumorebyicpmswithlefortaquaregiamicrowavedigestionand8hydroxyquinolineprecipitation
AT qinfengzhang determinationofrheniumintungstenandmolybdenumorebyicpmswithlefortaquaregiamicrowavedigestionand8hydroxyquinolineprecipitation