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A simple coprecipitation technique for the quantitative separation of the antimony present in impure zinc sulphate electrolyte followed by its voltammetric determination is described. Antimony in microgram levels is separated from the matrix zinc sulphate solution, which contains higher levels of copper, lead and cadmium, and is subsequently determined by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) in 3 M hydrochloric acid. Hydrous manganese dioxide is employed as the collector. This procedure, which effects considerable saving in time, is of comparable accuracy to the conventional spectrophotometric method using the antimony-rhodamine B complex. A series of synthetic zinc sulphate solutions spiked with known amounts of antimony as well as plant solutions gave near theoretical values.

Determination of fluoride in hydrometallurgical zinc-plant processing products and solutions with a fluoride-ion electrode is described. Various types of buffers were tested, to find a suitable common buffer for use in analysis of all types of substances generated at the zinc plant. The method involves decomposition of samples either by fusion with sodium hydroxide or by leaching with perchloric acid to bring fluoride into solution. The fluoride concentration is measured directly with a fluoride-specific electrode. In standard addition tests 100% recovery was obtained when a citric acid/sodium nitrate buffer was used. Validation tests gave satisfactory results.

In the zinc electro-winning process arsenic is considered a "problem impurity". Its determination should be fast, accurate and simple to help in-plant control for its effective removal during the iron purification stage. Such a method is presented which is applicable to all zinc concentrates, lead concentrates and smelter residues, with various compositions and matrix components. Results for certified reference samples and for recovery of standard additions are very good.

A rapid, simple and reliable routine method for the determination of total sulphur in zinc concentrates, roasted products and leached residues from zinc smelters is described. The method involves the fusion of the ample with sodium peroxide and sodium carbonate or routine acid decomposition and dissolution to give soluble compounds. The absorbance of the barium sulphate suspension produced by the addition of barium chloride powder to a dilute hydrochloric acid solution of the sample, containing cetyltrimethylammonium bromide solution as a dispersing agent, is measured at 420 nm. The results obtained for some zinc concentrates and other products are compared with those obtained by the conventional gravimetric barium sulphate method. Results for a reference zinc concentrate and other samples with various matrices and the results obtained with standard additions to the samples are good.