Spectrophotometric determination of molybdenum in rocks with thiocyanate

A rapid procedure for the determination of microgram amounts of molybdenum in rocks is described. After acid decomposition, molybdenum is extracted from a hydrochloric acid solution into xylene with tributyl phosphate. After back-extraction with water, molybdenum is extracted as the α-benzoinoximate into chloroform, stripped into hydrochloric acid extracted as the thiocyanate into amyl alcohol, and determined spectrophotometrically. The molybdenum thiocyanate color produced is stable, sensitive, and reproducible. Results of analyses of several of the U.S. Geological Survey standard rocks are given.