Simultaneous determination of iron and copper in pregnant liquid solutions.

The importance is discussed of controlling Fe(III) precipitate formation in the leach solutions from the hydrometallurgical processing of Cu sulphides. A spectrophotometric method is described for the determination of Cu and total Fe, based on the formation of Fe and Cu complexes with 5-sulphosalicylic acid (SSA). Optimum conditions were an SSA concentration of 5.1 g/l in the presence of 7.5 g/l ammonia at pH 10. The analytical wavelengths were 488.5 and 423.5 nm for the determination of Fe and Cu, respectively, using the zero crossing approach. The detection and quantification limits were 0.02 mg/l and 0.07 mg/l for Fe and 1.14 mg/l and 3.80 mg/l for Cu.
The importance is discussed of controlling Fe(III) precipitate formation in the leach solutions from the hydrometallurgical processing of Cu sulphides. A spectrophotometric method is described for the determination of Cu and total Fe, based on the formation of Fe and Cu complexes with 5-sulphosalicylic acid (SSA). Optimum conditions were an SSA concentration of 5.1 g/l in the presence of 7.5 g/l ammonia at pH 10. The analytical wavelengths were 488.5 and 423.5 nm for the determination of Fe and Cu, respectively, using the zero crossing approach. The detection and quantification limits were 0.02 mg/l and 0.07 mg/l for Fe and 1.14 mg/l and 3.80 mg/l for Cu.