Inorganic Paper Chromatography: the Qualitative Separation of Aluminium and Beryllium

Abstract

R. P. LINSTEAD et al.¹ have described the separation by means of paper Chromatography of aluminium, gallium, indium and zinc from solutions of their chlorides in n-butyl alcohol containing hydrochloric acid as a solvent. According to their work, aluminium scarcely moves at all from the original position, while the other elements move varying distances down the paper. We have recently followed their technique in an attempt to separate aluminium and beryllium, but instead of developing the aluminium with ‘Aluminon', we have incorporated the technique of development by fluorescence first proposed by Pollard et al.². After separation on the paper, the positions of the aluminium and beryllium spots are shown by spraying with an alcoholic solution of 8-hydroxyquinoline. Both the aluminium and the beryllium then fluoresce under ultra-violet light and can, indeed, be observed in strong sunlight. The fluorescence is intensified on drying the paper and exposing to ammoniacal vapours.