COULOMETRIC ARGENTOMETRIC DETERMINATION OF MICROAMOUNTS OF SULFUR IN IRON AND STEEL AFTER REDUCTION TO HYDROGEN-SULFIDE WITH IRON(II) IN STRONG PHOSPHORIC-ACID MEDIUM

A coulometric method was developed for the determination of microamounts of sulphur in iron and steel. Hydrogen sulphide is quantitatively evolved by reduction with iron(II) in strong phosphoric acid medium and is titrated with electrolytically generated silver ion from a silver anode. Microamounts of sulphide (2.96-224.3-mu-g) in sodium sulphide standard solutions could be determined with an error of only a few percent. Sulphur in a potassium sulphate standard solution is quantitatively reduced to hydrogen sulphide and could be separated from the solution by heating and determined accurately. Trace amounts of sulphur (7-100-mu-g g-1) in iron and steels could be determined with a standard deviation of 0.7-2.1-mu-g g-1.