IC Determination of Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium and Calcium in Cigarette Paper with Microwave Assisted Sample Digestion

Contents of 4 cations including Na+, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+, in cigarette paper were simultaneously determined by ion chromatography (IC). The sample of cigarette paper was treated with a mixture of HNO3-H2O2-HF in a closed vessel with microwave assisted digestion, and the cations in the sample solution were separated on IonPac CS16 cation exchange column with 0.027 mol·L-1 methanesulfonic acid solution as mobile phase. The above mentioned cations were separately within 30 min. Values of detection limit (3S/N) were found 13 (Na+), 15 (K+), 8.1 (Mg2+) and 97 (Ca2+) mg·L-1. Tests for recovery and precision were made, giving values of recovery ranged from 100.9% to 108.8%, and RSD′s (n=5) ranged from 0.87% to 3.4%.