DETERMINATION OF IRON IN LIMONITE
PROCEDURE.—Grind the mineral (Note 1) to a fine powder. Weigh out accurately two portions of about 0.5 gram (Note 2) into porcelain crucibles; heat these crucibles to dull redness for ten minutes, allow them to cool, and place them, with their contents, in beakers containing 30 cc. of dilute hydrochloric acid (sp. gr. 1.12). Heat at a temperature just below boiling until the undissolved residue is white or until solvent action has ceased. If the residue is white, or known to be free from iron, it may be neglected and need not be removed by filtration. If a dark residue remains, collect it on a filter, wash free from hydrochloric acid, and ignite the filter in a platinum crucible (Note 3). Mix the ash with five times its weight of sodium carbonate and heat to fusion; cool, and disintegrate the fused mass with boiling water in the crucible. Unite this solution and precipitate (if any) with the acid solution, taking care to avoid loss by effervescence. Wash out the crucible, heat the acid solution to boiling, add stannous chloride solution until it is colorless, avoiding a large excess (Note 4); cool, and when !cold!, add 40 cc. of mercuric chloride solution, dilute to 200 cc., and proceed with the titration as already described.
From the standardization data already obtained, and the known weight of the sample, calculate the percentage of iron (Fe) in the limonite.
[Note 1: Limonite is selected as a representative of iron ores in general. It is a native, hydrated oxide of iron. It frequently occurs in or near peat beds and contains more or less organic matter which, if brought into solution, would be acted upon by the potassium bichromate. This organic matter is destroyed by roasting. Since a high temperature tends to lessen the solubility of ferric oxide, the heat should not be raised above low redness.]
[Note 2: It is sometimes advantageous to dissolve a large portion—say 5 grams—and to take one tenth of it for titration. The sample will then represent more closely the average value of the ore.]
[Note 3: A platinum crucible may be used for the roasting of the limonite and must be used for the fusion of the residue. When used, it must not be allowed to remain in the acid solution of ferric chloride for any length of time, since the platinum is attacked and dissolved, and the platinic chloride is later reduced by the stannous chloride, and in the reduced condition reacts with the bichromate, thus introducing an error. It should also be noted that copper and antimony interfere with the determination of iron by the bichromate process.]
[Note 4: The quantity of stannous chloride required for the reduction of the iron in the limonite will be much larger than that added to the solution of iron wire, in which the iron was mainly already in the ferrous condition. It should, however, be added from a dropper to avoid an unnecessary excess.]
DETERMINATION OF CHROMIUM IN CHROME IRON ORE
PROCEDURE.—Grind the chrome iron ore (Note 1) in an agate mortar until no grit is perceptible under the pestle. Weigh out two portions of 0.5 gram each into iron crucibles which have been scoured inside until bright (Note 2). Weigh out on a watch-glass (Note 3), using the rough balances, 5 grams of dry sodium peroxide for each portion, and pour about three quarters of the peroxide upon the ore. Mix ore and flux by thorough stirring with a dry glass rod. Then cover the mixture with the remainder of the peroxide. Place the crucible on a triangle and raise the temperature !slowly! to the melting point of the flux, using a low flame, and holding the lamp in the hand (Note 4). Maintain the fusion for five minutes, and stir constantly with a stout iron wire, but do not raise the temperature above moderate redness (Notes 5 and 6).
Allow the crucible to cool until it can be comfortably handled (Note 7) and then place it in a 300 cc. beaker, and cover it with distilled water (Note 8). The beaker must be carefully covered to avoid loss during the disintegration of the fused mass. When the evolution of gas ceases, rinse off and remove the crucible; then heat the solution !while still alkaline! to boiling for fifteen minutes. Allow the liquid to cool for a few minutes; then acidify with dilute sulphuric acid (1:5), adding 10 cc. in excess of the amount necessary to dissolve the ferric hydroxide (Note 9). Dilute to 200 cc., cool, add from a burette an excess of a standard ferrous solution, and titrate for the excess with a standard solution of potassium bichromate, using the outside indicator (Note 10).