ATOMIC-ABSORPTION SPECTROMETRY AND POLAROGRAPHIC-DETERMINATION OF THECOPPER(I) COPPER(II) RATIO IN BORATE GLASS/

The direct current polarographic behaviour of Cu-II and Cu-I in the pr esence of 0.15 mol l(-1) triethanolamine, 0.2 mol l(-1) potassium thio cyanate and 30% (v/v) acetonitrile consists of two reduction waves. Th e first wave for the reduction of Cu-II to Cu-I was found to be revers ible, whereas the second wave corresponding to the reduction of Cu-I t o Cu-O was found to be irreversible. The stability of both oxidation s tates of copper in acetonitrile and triethanolamine as a solvent has b een studied. The effect of different cations and anions as well as the pH were investigated. The first wave for Cu-II was used for analytica l determination of Cu-II in a mixture of Cu-II and Cu-I, while Cu-I wa s calculated from the difference between the total copper concentratio n determined by AAS and Cu-II determined by polarography.