Abstract
A continuous potential pulse is applied to a silver-working electrode on a pulsed amperometric detector (PAD) for detection of free cyanide and sulfide. The moving phase is 0.1 M sodium hydroxide, 0.5 M sodium acetate and 5% (v/v) ethylenediamine mixture, and the flow rate is 0.7 mL/min. Optimized pulse conditions include a -200 mV (vs. Ag/AgCl reference electrode) detection potential(Ed) for 60 msec and 50 mV cleaning potential (Ec) for 120 msec. The silver working electrode surface is not poisoned by cyanide or sulfide, and the PAD maintains long-term stability without loss of sensitivity and reproducibility at these pulse conditions. The detection limit of cyanide and sulfide separated by ion chromatography using an anion exchange column is 0.1 ppm and 0.05 ppm, respectively.