REVERSED PHASE EXTRACTION CHROMATOGRAPHIC-SEPARATION OF GERMANIUM WITH ALIQUOT 336S FROM CITRIC-ACID

Germanium was extracted from 0.005 mol dm-3 citric acid at a pH between 2.5 and 6.5 on a column of silica gel coated with Aliquat 336S as the stationary phase. Germanium was then stripped with 0.5 mol dm-3 hydrochloric acid and determined spectrophotometrically as its complex with phenylfluorone. Germanium was separated from alkali and alkaline earths, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, and zinc in binary mixtures by the exploitation of difference in pH for formation of citrato complexes. It was separated from antimony, bismuth, tin, gallium, indium, and thallium by taking advantage of stability of chloro and sulfato complexes. This method was applied to the determination of germanium in coal fly ash