The Application of Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry for Gold Determination in Some of Its Bearing Rocks

Abstract

A developed method was designed for gold determination directly in organic medium in some sedimentary rocks (fine sandstone, carbonates), pyrite, serpentine and international standard gold sample (MA-1a) using flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS). Instrumental parameters; burner angle, fuel flow rate, band pass and burner height together with chemical parameters; different media, leaching and interference effect were optimized to improve gold determination. Selective leaching using a new mixture (5% KCN, 5% Na 2 S 2 O 3 and hydrogen peroxide) offered maximum leaching percentage of gold (>99%) with minimal concentration of accompanying elements. Extraction parameters using methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) from 3 M HCl were optimized for more than 99% gold extraction, followed by scrubbing using 0.1 M HCl. Gold was determined directly in organic phase. Beer’s law was obeyed from 0.01 μg/ml to 10 μg/ml. Standard deviation (from 0.017 to 1.05) and percentage error (from 1.5% to 2.5%) using the present developed AAS method were calculated.