Use of Synthetic Resins in the Estimation of Trace Elements

Abstract

IF trace elements in plant material are to be estimated polarographically, a digest free from organic substances must first be prepared. Piper¹ has reported that appreciable losses occur during ashing, owing to the volatility of inorganic components and adsorption to the surface of the ashing vessel. Digestion with mineral acids and oxidizing agents on the other hand gives solutions of high total ionic concentration, and the polarograms, as shown by Reed and Cummings², are often vague. As in many colorimetric estimations, therefore, it is necessary to isolate elements from the digest before they can be estimated accurately. If several elements can be isolated simultaneously, there is the possibility of estimating them in a single polarogram.