Rapid separation and analysis of six organic acids in Bayer liquors by RP-HPLC after solid-phase extraction

A rapid revised phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (RP-HPLC) method for the determination of six organic acids in Bayer liquors is reported. Oxalic, tartaric, acetic, succinic, glutaric and butene dicarboxylic acid were separated and quantified in 10 min. First time repeatability, reproducibility and recoveries were determined out for these acids in Bayer liquors. The organic acids were removed from Bayer liquor by using a solid-phase extraction procedure with anion-exchange cartridges. The chromatographic separation was achieved with only one Kromasil RP-C18 column thermo stated at 25 degrees C. Organic acids were detected with a UV-vis detector (215 nm). The precision results showed that the relative standard deviations of the repeatability and reproducibility were < 2.80% and < 3.74%, respectively. The accuracy of the method was confirmed with an average recovery ranging between 85.2 and 107.3%. Under optimum conditions the detection limits ranged from 50 to 1000 mg/L.