Spectrophotometric Determination of Thiosulfate in Desulfurization Solutions by Decoloration of Methylene Blue

Spectrophotometric Determination of Thiosulfate in Desulfurization Solutions by Decoloration of Methylene Blue Published on: May 1, 2023 Xiuxiu Zhao, Ming Xu, Chunying Ma, Yingying Ma, Xianji Ma Spectroscopy, May 2023, Volume 38, Issue 5 Pages: 19–22,34 This article proposes a method for the determination of thiosulfate by decoloring spectrophotometry with methylene blue as an oxidant. Methylene blue has redox properties. Its oxidized form is blue, and its reduced form is colorless. Thiosulfate is a medium-strength reducing agent. In an acidic medium, the two can undergo redox reactions to reduce methylene blue and cause the solution to exhibit a fading reaction within a certain range, and the degree of fading is proportional to the amount of thiosulfate added. This method measures the change in absorbance (AU) at a fixed wavelength of 664 nm, and ΔAU has a linear relationship with the content of thiosulfate. The linear range is 0–0.3 mmol/L. From this curve, the content of thiosulfate in the desulfurization solution can be accurately measured. This method is not interfered with by other secondary salts in the desulfurization solution during the thiosulfate determination process, and has high sensitivity. The color change can be observed by the naked eye to judge whether there is thiosulfate in the solution. This method is simple to perform and is an improved method for the determination of thiosulfate in a desulfurization solution.