Versatile spectrophotometric method for the determination of silicon

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Environmental Chemistry

Background:

• Accurate determination of silicon is crucial for water quality monitoring and industrial processes.
• Existing spectrophotometric methods for silicon analysis have limitations in sample applicability and pretreatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a versatile spectrophotometric method for microgram-level silicon determination.
• To enhance silicon analysis accuracy across a wide range of sample types.

Main Methods:

• Spectrophotometry utilizing molybdenum blue colorimetry.
• Incorporation of three key pretreatment procedures: cation exchange, alkaline conversion, and silicon fluoride decomposition.
• Development of five distinct analytical procedures for varied sample matrices.

Main Results:

• The method enables the determination of microgram levels of silicon.
• Successful application to diverse samples including natural and industrial waters, and nuclear reactor fuel solutions.
• Selective determination of total silicon is achievable.

Conclusions:

• The developed spectrophotometric method offers enhanced versatility and accuracy for silicon analysis.
• The integrated pretreatment steps effectively address challenges in complex sample matrices.
• This method provides a reliable tool for monitoring silicon concentrations in environmental and industrial settings.