Extraction and Spectrophotometric Determination of Trace Amounts of Molybdenum Present in Rocks and Minerals

Department of Chemistry, Jadavpur University, Calcutta-32

Manuscript received 25 June 1974; recived 6 September 1974; accepted 12 September 1974

Molybdenum (VI) forms a yellow coloured chelate with salicylhydroxamic acid at \(p\)H 2.5-3.0, which is extractable with isoamyl alcohol. The coloured extract can be directly measured spectro­photometrically at 345 urn or at 360 nm. The system follows Beer's law at these wavelengths over the concentration range 0.10 p.p.m. to 10.0 p.p.m. Mo. The coloured species with a sensitivity, 0.010 µg Mo cm^-2 (ԑ = 9020) at 345 nm and 0.014 µg Mo cm^-2 (ԑ = 6730) at 360 nm, can be suitably used for determination of molybdenum present in geological specimens.