Quantitative determination of vanadium in Bayer's liquor and vanadium sludge using ICP-AES

Analytical Research Division, Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research Development & Design Centre, Amravati Road, Wadi, Nagpur-440 023, Maharashtra, India

E-mail : singhu1970@rediffmail.com   Fax : 91-7104-220942

Quantification of vanadium (as V₂O₅) in Bayer liquor (Spent) and precipitated vanadium sludge have been done using ICP-AES and classical methods. Samples were prepared by acid digestion technique for the complete dissolution of free as well as bound vanadium in highly alkaline samples. Concentration of vanadium in spent liquor was obtained to be 1.2 gpl to 2.8 gpl and 11.2 to 17.8% as V₂O₅ in the sludge collected from different Indian alumina refineries.

In this paper, optimization of operating condition of ICP-AES, sample preparation methodology, validation of data and their significance has been studied. Precision of measurement in the standards sample and industrial samples were indicated by % RSD which was achieved as low as 0.9. A comparative study of conventional (classical) and instrumental (ICP-AES) methods in the determination of vanadium for liquor and sludge have been discussed.